Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) has issued a statement apologizing and attempting to explain her bizarre and sexually suggestive viral video with abortion advocate Liz Plank.
The video showcased Whitmer feeding a Dorito to Plank, who is suggestively receiving it on her tongue with her eyes closed. The Democrat was swiftly criticized for appearing to mock Catholics and the Holy Eucharist, with Whitmer acting as a priest.
“Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith,” Whitmer said in a 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.”
The governor said the video was supposed to be about the $52.7 billion CHIPS Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022, claiming it would fight inflation.
“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,” Whitmer added.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer releases statement following video of her feeding a podcaster a Dorito corn chip, resembling communion:
“Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith,” the statement said. “I’ve used my platform to… pic.twitter.com/HO7i0L5TL6
— Jeff Vaughn (@JeffVaughn) October 12, 2024
The video, which was published to Instagram on Thursday, was initially captioned, “if he won’t, big gretch will.”
The amended caption now reads as follows: “Chips aren’t just delicious, the CHIPS Act is a game-changer for U.S. tech and manufacturing, boosting domestic production of semiconductors to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers! Donald Trump would put that at risk.”
Plank also recorded a 9-minute interview with Whitmer on her show “Chip Chat.” During the interview, Plank asked the governor, “You have two daughters. When they come back home and they leave their Stanley Cups lying around, do you ever think about getting a post-birth abortion?”
After laughing, Whitmer replied, “Thank you for raising that because there’s no such thing. So I think it’s really important for us to make sure people understand that.”
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.
Related: Whitmer Blasted After Appearing In Vulgar Video With Feminist Writer
