On Monday night, before she made her appearance at the Democratic National Convention, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer apparently had a need to display how hip she was, saying into a hot mic, “It’s not just shark week. It’s shark week,” before mouthing “motherf****r.”
Gov. Whitmer (D-MI) jokes before going live: "It's not just Shark Week … it's Shark Week *mouths expletive*" pic.twitter.com/KSndbTvLZi
— The Recount (@therecount) August 18, 2020
“That Gay Guy Candle Company, an Adrian-based candle company which crafts environmentally friendly handmade candles donning biting phrases like ‘Happy birthday. Another year closer to death,’ and ‘Congratulations, graduate! Now get the f*** out’ premiered a new candle with the governor’s new line,” The Detroit Free Press noted, adding, “For those who want to wear their support, Traverse City-based t-shirt company Tee See Tee has you covered with a ‘It’s shark week motherf***ers!’ t-shirt … Detroit-based Well Done Goods has released a facemask with Whitmer’s quote in bright red text fixed above a creeping shark a la Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws.”
Whitmer seems to have a penchant for swearing; in April 2018, she wrote on Facebook, “It’s time to fix the damn roads.”
But lest anyone criticize her, there’s this notice from June of how entrenched Whitmer sees herself: Whitmer boasted, “I’m proud of the work we’ve done; we’ve been able to do his because of quick, aggressive action that we took. The data shows our actions working, and yet, we still see attempts to take away my authority to take these actions, which made it all possible in the first place … I want to be very clear; any attempt to strip away the powers of the governor during this time is irresponsible, dangerous, and foolish. We’re here today in phase 4 of the MI Safe Start plan, heading towards phase 5 and leading the country because of the action we took.”
The same month, after President Trump told many governors across the nation that they needed to crack down on protesters, saying, “Most of you are weak. You have to arrest people,” Whitmer issued a press release in which she said Trump was “determined to sow the seeds of hatred and division.”
The release, in which Whitmer lionized former President Barack Obama, stated:
The president’s dangerous comments should be gravely concerning to all Americans, because they send a clear signal that this administration is determined to sow the seeds of hatred and division, which I fear will only lead to more violence and destruction. We must reject this way of thinking. This is a moment that calls for empathy, humanity, and unity. This is one of the most challenging periods in our nation’s history, but as Americans, we must remember our enemy is racial injustice, not one another. Let us heed the powerful words of President Obama today to “channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action.” It’s time for all of us to pull together and do the hard work of building a nation that works for everyone.