Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is facing criticism for comments she made about looking back on some of her COVID-19 policies.
During an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace, Whitmer said, “There were moments where we had to make some decisions that, in retrospect, don’t make a lot of sense.”
“If you went into the hardware store, you could go to the hardware store, but we didn’t want people, you know, all congregating around the gardening supplies. People said, ‘Oh, she’s outlawed seeds.’ It was February in Michigan. No one was planting anyway,” she explained.
Whitmer added, “That being said, some of those policies, I look back and think that maybe was a little more than we needed to do.”
Watch the video below:
MICHIGAN GOV. WHITMER ON COVID LOCKDOWNS: "We had to make some decisions that in retrospect don't make a lot of sense, right? […] We didn't want people, you know, all congregating around the gardening supplies. […] It was February in Michigan, no one was planting anyway…" pic.twitter.com/WyOOAXsegZ
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 13, 2023
Conservative radio host Buck Sexton tweeted, “Whitmer admits she made totally arbitrary [dictatorial] Covid policies, and Democrat Michiganders voted to re-elect her anyway. Basic sanity is less important to them than the ‘right’ to kill babies in the womb for all 9 months of a pregnancy.”
Whitmer admits she made totally arbitrary [dictatorial] Covid policies, and Democrat Michiganders voted to re-elect her anyway. Basic sanity is less important to them than the “right” to kill babies in the womb for all 9 months of a pregnancy. https://t.co/WAGm8hM18L
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) March 13, 2023
“She’ll grant you the banning of gardening supplies was a little much, but the rest of the useless tyranny? She’ll do it to you again in a heartbeat,” tweeted conservative commentator Matt Kibbe.
She’ll grant you the banning of gardening supplies was a little much, but the rest of the useless tyranny? She’ll do it to you again in a heartbeat. https://t.co/PTFydSPFG0
— Matt Kibbe (@mkibbe) March 13, 2023
Jon Miltimore, the managing editor of the Foundation for Economic Education, wrote, “How politicians slowly separate themselves from their authoritarian Covid-19 policies. ‘…some of those policies I look back and think maybe, maybe that was a little more than we needed to do.'”
How politicians slowly separate themselves from their authoritarian Covid-19 policies.
— Jon Miltimore (@miltimore79) March 13, 2023
"…some of those policies I look back and think maybe, maybe that was a little more than we needed to do." https://t.co/K9WiXEqiI3
Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) tweeted, “The gaslighting here is simply breathtaking.”
“The orders (multiple) were in late March/early April (NOT February) and were so unclear that some stores put caution tape around entire aisles to not risk noncompliance. A bit of humility would be nice,” he added.
The gaslighting here is simply breathtaking. The orders (multiple) were in late March/early April (NOT February) and were so unclear that some stores put caution tape around entire aisles to not risk noncompliance. A bit of humility would be nice. https://t.co/vVrnSLBhZM
— Peter Meijer (@RepMeijer) March 13, 2023
According to Politifact, Whitmer issued an executive order that went into effect in April 2020 in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The fact-checking outlet noted, “The order says that stores larger than 50,000 square feet must close areas — ‘by cordoning them off, placing signs in aisles, posting prominent signs, removing goods from shelves, or other appropriate means — that are dedicated to the following classes of goods: Carpet or flooring, furniture, garden centers and plant nurseries, and paint.'”
“Referring to that restriction at a news conference announcing the order, Whitmer said: ‘If you’re not buying food or medicine or other essential items, you should not be going to the store,'” it added.
