“Hi, my name is Gretchen Whitmer, and that governor is me,” she wrote. “I’ve asked repeatedly and respectfully for help. We need it. No more political attacks, just PPEs, ventilators, N95 masks, test kits. You said you stand with Michigan — prove it.”
Friday evening, hours before he signed the emergency order she’d repeatedly demanded, Trump gave the governor he previously refused to name a trademark nickname: Gretchen “Half” Whitmer.
Michigan has the fifth-most coronavirus cases of any state, with more than 3,600 confirmed cases and 92 deaths as of Saturday afternoon. The United States this week surpassed China to become the world leader in confirmed coronavirus cases.
Sen. Chris Murphy weighed in on the drama on Saturday, suggesting that Whitmer’s claim was akin to allegations made against Trump during his impeachment investigation that disbursement of aid was dependent upon personal favors being carried out for him.
“Michigan is the new Ukraine,” Murphy tweeted.
Republican governors, too, like Massachusetts’ Charlie Baker, have broken with Trump’s response to the crisis.
Baker, whose state was also granted an emergency declaration by the White House on Saturday, has said Massachusetts will not be “up and running” by Easter, bucking Trump’s previous suggestion that the country could loosen social distancing guidelines by April 12.
Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/28/trump-gretchen-whitmer-war-of-words-152759
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