Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) has expressed regret following the release of a video that seemed to ridicule the sacrament of the Eucharist, emphasizing that she would never intend to disrespect anyone’s faith.
In a statement shared with Fox2 Detroit by her office, Governor Whitmer clarified that the video, which features her donning a Harris-Walz camouflage hat and placing a Dorito chip on the tongue of Canadian author and journalist Liz Plank, was intended to highlight the significance of the CHIPS Act for employment in Michigan.
“Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith,” Whitmer said in her statement. “I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs. My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference. What was supposed to be a video about the importance of the CHIPS Act to Michigan jobs, has been construed as something it was never intended to be, and I apologize for that.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer feeds a left-wing podcaster a Dorito as if it's the Eucharist while wearing a Kamala/Walz hat.
But word on the street is that JD Vance is weird and that MAGA is a cultpic.twitter.com/zgvq5sZntZ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 10, 2024
In reaction to the video, Whitmer has faced criticism from various Catholic organizations that have deemed it “offensive.” Paul A. Long, the president of the Michigan Catholic Conference, released a statement describing the skit as “an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices.”
He contined:
“The skit specifically imitates “the posture and gestures of Catholics receiving the Holy Eucharist, in which we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present,” said Paul A. Long, president of the Michigan Catholic Conference. It is not just distasteful or ‘strange;’ it is an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices,” Long said on behalf of the bishops, adding that “whether or not insulting Catholics and the Eucharist was the intent, it has had an offensive impact.”
On Friday, Bill Donohue, the President of the Catholic League, released a statement condemning Whitmer for the video, asserting that Whitmer “insulted Catholics nationwide.”
Whitmer “insulted Catholics nationwide when she intentionally ridiculed the Eucharist in a video,” Donohue wrote. “The short video was posted by podcaster Liz Plank on her Instagram account. Whitmer, who is wearing a Harris-Walz hat, is standing above Plank, who is kneeling in front of her. Plank opens her mouth and Whitmer places a Dorito chip on her tongue, mocking the Eucharist. There is no way to understand this stunt other than as an expression of vintage anti-Catholic bigotry.”
