After the announcement by federal and state officials, senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller criticized the governor, who linked Trump’s speech to the plot in previous televised remarks, saying that she “wakes up every day with such hatred in her heart” for Trump.
“You know, the fact that after a plot to kidnap and kill me, that’s what they came out with. They started attacking me, unlike what kind and respectful people would do is check in and say, ‘Are you okay?’ – And it is what (Democratic presidential candidate) Joe Biden did, “said Whitmer to CNN correspondent Irene Burnett on” Out Front “.
“I think that tells you all that is at stake in this election,” she said. “It tells you everything you need to know about the personality of the two people on this ballot that we have to choose from in a few weeks.”
Trump criticized Whitmire later Thursday in a series of tweets, falsely claiming that she called him a “white fanatic” in her remarks, and complained that she did not thank him and said she was doing a “terrible job” in the verdict.
He wrote, “The governor of Michigan has done a terrible job. She has closed her state to everyone, except for her husband’s boating activities,” he wrote, urging her in another tweet to “Open your state, open your schools, open churches!”
Whitmire said she has asked the White House and Republicans in her state to reduce the level of inflammatory rhetoric they launched that she said helped ignite the alleged plot.
“We know that every time the White House identifies me or shoots me, we see an increase in online rhetoric, violent rhetoric, so there’s always a connection, and certainly something we’ve been watching. But that took it to a whole new level.”
And she continued: “I raised this particular issue with the White House and asked them to reduce the tension. I have asked the leaders and Republican leaders in the state – let’s calm the tension.”
Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly attacked her for these measures, with the president saying on Twitter earlier this year that residents should “liberate” the country.
CNN’s Christina Carega, Veronica Stracwallorsi and Josh Campbell contributed to this report.
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