Michigan leads US in new COVID cases as Gov. Whitmer takes heat from Republicans

Several Michigan cities have some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country

Per Fox News:

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has come under fire for her leadership by the state's Republican Party as the Wolverine State has surpassed 700,000 total COVID-19 cases.

At the same time that Michigan hit the grim milestone, the state is the national leader in the number of cases of the novel coronavirus by population. As of Tuesday morning, Michigan is averaging more than 452 cases per 100,000 residents over the last seven days, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data

The New York Times' list of top 10 cities where the outbreak is the worst includes seven Michigan cities, as of Tuesday morning. 

Whitmer's policies have garnered much ire from her opponents, who have hammered her over her controversial nursing home policies as well as her strict lockdown orders.

"Despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's onerous lockdown policies and draconian shutdown orders, Michigan is still leading the nation in new COVID-19 cases," Ted Goodman, communications director for the Michigan Republican Party, told Fox News. 

"From the start of this pandemic, Whitmer has been more focused on the political science rather than the actual science, which is why Michigan is seeing an increase, compared to most of the country, where numbers are falling," Goodman added.

Republican Governors Association spokesperson Chris Gustafson also took aim at the governor, blasting her as being "asleep at the wheel" while the virus continues to spread in Michigan.

"Gretchen Whitmer is asleep at the wheel while COVID-19 rages on in Michigan," Gustafson said in a statement. "Whether it’s cutting hush money checks, instituting deadly Andrew Cuomo-inspired nursing home policies, or hiding from her constituents, Michiganders deserve better leadership than Gretchen Whitmer."

Whitmer's office didn't return a request for comment. 

Whitmer has also come under fire for her controversial COVID-19 nursing home policies, similar to one of the scandals surrounding embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Last month, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel rejected a request by state Republicans to look into the controversial nursing home policies that led to many deaths.

"I appreciate that you and your colleagues have policy disagreements with Gov. Whitmer’s response to COVID-19," Nessel wrote in a letter to Republican lawmakers. "But an investigation by my office is not the mechanism to resolve those disagreements."

1 year, 10 months ago

Governors in Iowa, North Dakota and Alabama join GOP colleagues in banning TikTok for state employees

The Republican governors of three more states have joined the growing number of GOP governors who are banning TikTok among state government employees amid security concerns about the Chinese-owned social media platform

1 year, 10 months ago

Arizona Governor Creates Shipping Container Border Wall

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has had hundreds of double-stacked shipping containers topped with razor wire placed on the state’s border with Mexico

1 year, 11 months ago

Stacey Abrams’s Georgia Nonprofit Could Face Criminal Investigations for Unlicensed Fundraising

New Georgia Project's charity license has lapsed in at least nine states

1 year, 11 months ago

Biden says ‘more important things’ than border visit, despite 59 trips to Delaware, 8 stops for ice cream

Biden has yet to visit southern border despite historic crisis under his watch

1 year, 11 months ago

Governor Kristi Noem delivers annual Budget Address, says the state can afford grocery tax cut

In about thirty minutes of remarks, Governor Kristi Noem laid out her administration would like to see nearly $2.2 billion spent over the course of the next fiscal year and a half.

1 year, 11 months ago

‘A Clear And Present Danger To Its Users:’ South Carolina Gov. Bans State Employees From Using TikTok Amid National Security Concerns

South Carolina became the second state in the union Monday to permanently ban state employees’ electronic devices from using TikTok amid federal officials sounding the alarm that the Chinese-based social media app threatens national security