White House Member’s ‘Irresponsible’ COVID-19 Tweet Prompts Pushback In Michigan

Responding to White House backlash over her new lockdown orders, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she would not be bullied during the pandemic.

Whitmer announced Sunday that her state's Department of Health and Human Services had ordered a three-week partial lockdown that, among other things, limits higher education to online learning, prohibits indoor dining at bars and restaurants, and restricts in-home visits to members of no more than two households. The restrictions go into effect Wednesday

Scott Atlas, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, expressed opposition to Whitmer almost immediately.

Whitmer, a Democrat who has frequently been targeted by President Donald Trump, told CNN later Sunday that she would not be browbeat by his administration.

"We know that the White House likes to single us out here in Michigan, me out in particular,” she said. “I'm not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals."

Atlas later clarified he was not inciting violence, only encouraging people to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel countered this was why the U.S. was falling behind.

“This statement is disappointing, irresponsible, and the reason why the United States finds itself in such desperate circumstances regarding COVID-19,” she remarked on Twitter.

Michigan is coming off its worst week yet in terms of COVID-19 infections, with 44,019 new positives and 416 deaths attributed to viral complications.

Whitmer’s emergency powers were curbed early this year by the Republican-led state Supreme Court. State Rep. Matt Maddock, a Republican, said Whitmer should be impeached for the latest restrictions.

Trump, a vocal critic of Whitmer, has referred to her as “that woman from Michigan.” Her and the president have exchanged barbs over much of her first term in office.

The ring leader of a plot to kidnap her described Whitmer as a tyrant for enacting strict lockdowns earlier this year. One person commenting on Maddock’s tweet echoed that rhetoric. On the White House remarks, another said Whitmer has a “rabid thirst for more & more power over the citizenry.”