Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is supportive of Americans exercising their right to protest, but not at the expense of putting others at risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Co-host of ABC’s “The View” Whoopi Goldberg asked Whitmer if protesters are making it more difficult for the state to be able to contain the coronavirus.
According to Whitmer, the protests “undermine” the efforts put into place to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
“What we’re doing is working,” Whitmer said.
She added, “So these protests, they do undermine the effort and it’s very clearly a political statement that is playing out where people are coming together from across the state. They are congregating, they are not wearing masks, they are not staying six feet apart, and then they go back home into communities.”
Watch her comments below:
Michigan Gov. Whitmer defends her stay-at-home orders, saying “what we’re doing is working” but protests “undermine the effort.”
— The View (@TheView) May 13, 2020
“While I respect people’s right to dissent, they need to do it in a way that is responsible and does not put others at risk.” https://t.co/rk34e3Tr09 pic.twitter.com/dQKFetfSyp
Protests erupted across the state after Whitmer issued three executive orders extending the emergency and disaster declaration set to expire at midnight on April 30, as IJR previously reported.
Shortly thereafter, Whitmer said the protesters are “not representative” of all of the residents of Michigan.
Whitmer was also met with opposition from Michigan’s Republican-controlled state legislature as they filed a lawsuit against Whitmer on May 6, as IJR previously reported.
The lawsuit alleges Whitmer refused to work with the legislature and her actions were “unconstitutional.”
Whitmer later expressed her support of banning guns inside of Michigan’s state capitol following the protests.
She went on to recognize the right of the American people “to dissent,” but encouraged them to do it responsibly.
“The risk of perpetuating the spread of COVID-19 is real. We’ve seen it happen and that’s why, you know, while I respect people’s right to dissent, they need to do it in a way that is responsible and does not put others at risk,” Whitmer said.
