Michigan state Republicans went “too far” in saying they would pull committee assignments from a state Democrat who threatened Trump supporters in a viral video, the state’s Democratic governor said Thursday, Fox News informed.
“Make them pay,” state Rep. Cynthia Johnson had said in the video about Trump supporters, among other remarks, drawing condemnation from across the aisle.
But Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged “a little bit of compassion and grace” for the lawmaker, claiming at a Thursday news conference that Johnson “has been through a lot” lately, including threats directed against her after a contentious voter-fraud hearing with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani — and dealing with a loved one’s case of the coronavirus.
“I think that removing her from her committees is too far, truly, and I’ve reached out and asked the incoming House leadership to reconsider that,” Whitmer said, MLive.com reported.
Johnson’s duties include serving as vice chair of the state House Oversight Committee, according to the Detroit News.
“The simple requirement that she show up to do her job last week at a hearing with Rudy Giuliani, where she was exposed to COVID, frankly, and everyone who was there was, has now made her the target of a lot of racist attacks and threats on her life,” Whitmer added, according to the News.
“None of this is acceptable. None of it is acceptable,” the governor said. “And I believe that it is crucial that we show one another some grace right now.”
Instead, people of all political stripes should focus on “our common enemy” of COVID-19, Whitmer added, the Detroit Free Press reported. “Any action that happens in the Legislature in the coming days or weeks should be focused on that and that alone, keeping one another safe.”
On Wednesday, state House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, described Johnson’s remarks in the video as being threatening.
“Threats to either Democrats or Republicans are unacceptable and un-American. They’re even more unbecoming of an elected official,” Chatfield and Wentworth said in a joint statement, the Free Press reported.
In addition, Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox accused Johnson of inciting violence, MLive.com reported.
In the video posted Tuesday, Johnson thanked her supporters and asked them to retaliate against political opponents by hitting them “in the pocketbook.” She also warned “Trumpers” to “be careful,” advising them to “walk lightly.”
“And for those of you who are soldiers,” she added, “you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay.”
On Wednesday evening, Johnson claimed she wasn’t threatening Trump supporters – but didn’t regret her choice of words, MLive.com reported.
Instead, she claimed it was the state GOP who owed her an apology.
“In my community, we often use the term soldier, but when we use the term it means for people to rise up and not just take B.S.,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t mean anything violent. Our rise up means rise up against racism, against tyranny, rise up against violence. No, my message was not one that was intended against the Trump people. We are talking about peace and unity.”
On Thursday, House spokesman Gideon D’Assandro said there were “no plans to change the current committee assignments,” according to the Free Press.
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