Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Thursday night said the protests that took place in her state Wednesday demanding an end to her “stay-at-home” order could result in an extension of social distancing measures like it.
Whitmer, during an interview with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow
Rachel Anne MaddowWarren: If Biden asked me to be VP, I would say yes Schumer: Trump thinks coronavirus crisis ‘revolves around him’ How reporters should handle coronavirus briefings MORE, said that the protests are the “kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders, which is supposedly what they are protesting.”
WATCH: Gov. Whitmer tells @Maddow that Wednesday’s protest at Michigan’s Capitol is the “kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders, which is supposedly what they protesting.” pic.twitter.com/WxVtTVEeia
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 17, 2020
Protesters, led by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, stormed the Michigan capitol building Wednesday demanding an end to the stay-at-home order, which they claimed was infringing on their personal liberties.
Whitmer said she’s afraid that kind of behavior will result in a resurgence of the disease, which has hit her state particularly hard. As of Thursday evening, Michigan has reported 29,263 cases and 2,093 deaths.
“The thing that I’m concerned most about, and that I think my fellow governors are as well, is a resurgence,” Whitmer said.
“When you see a political rally — that’s what it was yesterday — a political rally where people aren’t wearing masks and they’re in close quarters and they’re touching one another, you know that that’s precisely what makes this kind of disease drag out and expose more people.”
