A bellicose President Trump lashed out at Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Twitter in a disgusting show of partisanship late Thursday night, just hours after the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a dozen members of a right-wing extremist militia who planned to kidnap or kill her.
Rather than share his horror at the idea of that heavily armed goons might take up arms against our elected officials or take any responsibility for his role in encouraging the militias during their protests against the COVID-19 lockdowns, President Trump declared that she should be thanking him for allowing our national law enforcement agencies to do their job.
Even worse, he demanded that she rescind all remaining coronavirus prevention mandates so that the virus can continue to ravage the American population and claim even more than the 211,000 people that have died on Trump’s watch.
Governor Whitmer of Michigan has done a terrible job. She locked down her state for everyone, except her husband’s boating activities. The Federal Government provided tremendous help to the Great People of Michigan. My Justice Department and Federal Law Enforcement announced…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020
…I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence. Defending ALL Americans, even those who oppose and attack me, is what I will always do as your President! Governor Whitmer—open up your state, open up your schools, and open up your churches!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2020
Governor Whitmer has been one of President Trump’s favorite scapegoats throughout the entire coronavirus crisis, making her the face of his efforts to fight the economy-slowing but life-saving lockdown measures that the nation half-heartedly attempted earlier this year.
With Trump’s open encouragement — he sent an all-caps tweet demanding that somebody “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” — and the behind-the-scenes organization from shadowy right-wing billionaires, right-wing anti-lockdown protesters grew bold enough to storm the statehouse toting assault rifles, shutting down a legislative session while the police stood to the side in tacit approval.
During her response to the terrifying plot by the militiamen, Whitmer pointed to Trump’s recent refusal to condemn white supremacist and right-wing extremist groups, many of whom fervently support Trump, as even more encouragement for these heavily armed psychopaths.
“Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. Stand back and stand by,” he told them. Stand back and stand by. Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke but as a rallying cry, as a call to action,” said Whitmer in a scathing rebuke to Trump.
Rather than do the right thing and accept the huge role that he has played in fomenting violence across the country against the media, Democratic politicians, and innocent non-white citizens, Trump insulted her, trashed her efforts to save the lives of her constituents, and falsely blamed Vice-President Joe Biden for the riots that erupted following the recent murders of Black Americans by the police.
It was inevitable that we would see this kind of response from him, but it is still absolutely abhorrent to see. If Donald Trump gets another four years in office, these kinds of plots against Democratic politicians will become more and more common — and we can expect America’s law enforcement agencies to be stocked with loyal Trumpers who will be disinclined to stop them.