On Friday, three men charged with being part of a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer were found not guilty after a two-week trial.
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BREAKING The final three defendants in the Whitmer kidnapping case have all just been acquitted on all counts in Antrim County court in Michigan. Eric Molitor, Bill Null and Michael Null were found not guilty by the jury after a 2 week trial. <a href="https://t.co/vrYPc9qusB">pic.twitter.com/vrYPc9qusB</a>
&mdash; Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenbensinger/status/1702698351781924896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In early October 2020, the FBI announced they had arrested 13 men suspected of orchestrating a plot to kidnap Whitmer and overthrow the state government. Roughly half of the group belonged to an organization called the Wolverine Watchmen. Six men were charged in federal court; the other seven were charged with state crimes. The six men charged in federal court were Adam Fox, Ty Garbin, Barry Croft Jr., Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. The seven men charged with state crimes were Pete Musico, Joseph Morrison, Shawn Fix, Eric Molitor, Michael Null, William Null, and Paul Bellar.
Eric Molitor, Bill Null and Michael Null were found not guilty by the jury on Friday.
Barry Croft, Jr. was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison; Adam Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison; Joseph Morrison was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison; Paul Bellar was sentenced to 7 to 20 years; Pete Musico was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months, later reduced to 2 years and 6 months; Ty Garbin was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months, later reduced to 2 years and 6 months; and Kaleb Franks was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Harris and Caserta were found not guilty; no sentencing has been announced yet for Fix and Higgins.
Whitmer later targeted former President Trump, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/520255-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-responds-to-kidnapping-plot-says-trump/">saying</a>, “Just last week, the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacist and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions and they are complicit.”
“Our head of state has spent the past 7 months denying science, ignoring his own health experts, stoking distrust, fomenting anger and giving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division,” Whitmer added.

Gretchen Whitmer

Three Men Found Not Guilty In Whitmer Kidnapping Plot

kidnapping

Michigan

Do you ever ask yourself, &#8220;Is this still the United States of America?&#8221;
If not, that might be your response after the latest story out of Michigan, where Republicans are warning that a new hate speech bill could place individuals in jail for &#8220;misgendering&#8221; and hurting the &#8220;feelings&#8221; of others.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-hate-speech-bill-would-make-it-a-felony-to-make-someone-feel-threatened" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire previously reported</a>, the bill would make it a hate crime to cause someone to “feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened.” If this bill becomes law, then &#8220;sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” would be included as protected classes, and violators would be guilty of a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a bill that intends to bring prosecution for hurt feelings,&#8221; state Representative Brad Paquette (R-MI) <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/michigan-hate-speech-law-prosecute-misgendering" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Washington Examiner over the weekend.
&#8220;The bill is founded in pure narcissism and victim mentality that&#8217;s built upon gender theory. It&#8217;s one that seeks to force others who adamantly disagree with gender theory to live in another&#8217;s delusion,&#8221; he added.
Paquette took it a step further, saying that this was part of a larger assault on America as we know it.
&#8220;I think gender theory is one of the biggest threats to our nation,&#8221; Paquette said to The Examiner.
The bill has already passed Michigan&#8217;s House and now sits with the Democrat-controlled state senate.
Folks like the Wolverine State&#8217;s Attorney General Dana Nessel say that the law is needed because the current ones are &#8220;woefully inadequate to address the rise and escalation of crimes that we’re seeing today.&#8221;
Other Republicans, such as state Representative Steve Carras, argue that the law is too broad and would run roughshod over freedom of speech.
&#8220;This legislation opens the door to severe penalties for words,&#8221; Carra told The Examiner. &#8220;Despite some speech being completely reprehensible, one of the wonderful things about our country is that you have the right to say it without fear of government retaliation or oppression.&#8221;
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It is expected that Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will sign the bill if it lands on her desk. Last week, she outlawed conversion therapy for minors.
As this author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rapid-reaction-major-dem-donor-let-off-the-hook-for-alleged-campaign-finance-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed last week</a>, consider how insane this moment in American history is: A sizable chunk of the Democratic Party believes that not only can men and women change their sex and gender through bodily mutilation but that minors should also be allowed to do so. The Democrats are so adamant in this belief that states are pushing for laws that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-state-senator-warns-parents-to-flee-state-after-gender-affirmation-bill-advances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strip parental authority away</a>. Congress has to host hearings on the matter in hopes of exposing how barbaric this practice really is.
Now, Michigan Democrats want to punish those who fail to comply with their leftist ideology. Totalitarians are all the same, and their new issue to expand power is transgenderism.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

‘Pure Narcissism’: GOP Reps Sound Alarm Over Michigan’s New Hate Crime Bill

'Pure Narcissism': GOP Reps Sound Alarm Over Michigan's New Hate Crime Bill

Hate Speech

LGBTQ

Politics

Republicans

Social Issues

Transgender

In speeches before it was approved by the Democrat-controlled Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee, Michigan residents <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11997731/Michigan-residents-slam-Democrat-led-2-4-billion-proposal-Chinese-green-energy-plants.html">expressed their fury</a> over a proposed electric vehicle battery plant owned by a Chinese company to be built in Big Rapids.
The corporate bylaws of Gotion High-Tech, the parent company of Gotion, which owns the plant, mandate that Gotion carry out “Party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.” Last October, Michigan Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer celebrated the proposal for the plant, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/residents-erupt-michigan-democrats-approve-funding-for-chinese-backed-green-energy-project-im-angry">asserting</a> it would strengthen Michigan as the “global hub of mobility and electrification.”
But on Thursday, residents and local officials had a different perspective at the hearing.
“I am gravely disappointed that our representatives are serving the demands of our governor over the request of our citizens. I can attest, however, that our community is now united in ways they would have never been before. They do not want this,” Hannah Saez, the clerk of Big Rapids Township, stated. “Thousands of Michiganders will be watching today. I know you all receive daily emails and phone calls. I know you&#8217;re under pressure. I know you&#8217;ve probably been coerced. I beg of you to do what is right here even if corruption is knocking at your door.”
Kyle Luce, the supervisor of Barton Township, said 85% of his constituents opposed the plant.
“Our citizens are concerned with the timeframe that&#8217;s going on here,” he said. “The timing seems to be sped up exponentially to, in our opinion, try to seal the deal and get this done before people have a chance to speak out, residents have a chance to speak out. And individuals, the fine senators, are digging up information daily about the CCP involvement.”
“We&#8217;re primarily a farm community and we&#8217;re concerned about our environment,&#8221; he added. ‘I’m here just to speak and ask you to either turn this down or table it until further investigation could be done.”
“I’m angry,” local resident Marjorie Steele snapped. “I’m angry that this vote was slipped into the agenda today with as little information as possible so that people like me wouldn’t know it was happening. I’m angry that you, our elected officials, have ignored my community&#8217;s pleas to table this vote until some small semblance of due diligence can be performed. I can promise you that we will not stop at the local level.”
“We are tired of being abused and we are not alone,” she continued. “This is not just a Mecosta County issue. Townships and counties across the state are uniting, sharing resources, manpower and grassroots activism. Your votes today, senators, are lines drawn in the sand.”
One resident said the plant was part of China’s intention to “overthrow the United States without firing a shot.”
“I think that any Chinese communist plant buying up 700 acres of Michigan land is a concern to all citizens throughout the state,” Cheryl Vitito declared. “This CCP-controlled company represents communism and is a threat to our way of life and our God-given and constitutional freedoms. We don&#8217;t want the CCP here by way of the Gotion plant as they have no regard for the value and dignity of human life.”

Chinese Flag In The Wind

‘Overthrow The United States Without Firing A Shot’: Michiganders Rip Chinese-Owned EV Battery Plant

Michiganders Rip Chinese-Owned EV Battery Plant

Communist China

electric vehicles

U.S.

The repeal of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">right-to-work</a> laws by Michigan Democratic Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> constitutes a massive victory for unions that labor officials will be eager to imitate nationwide.
The right-to-work measures had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-repeals-right-to-work-law-in-major-victory-for-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed</a> residents to decline union membership in their workplaces and exempted them from the forced payment of union dues. Michigan Democrats, who secured both chambers of the legislature as Whitmer won a second term, were able to repeal the right-to-work laws enacted by former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012.
Even as the power of unions is expected to balloon as a result of the repeal, proponents of right-to-work legislation cautioned that the move would negatively impact individual liberties and the state economy. Officials could attempt to mimic the repeal in other states where Democrats recently made significant gains in legislative chambers.
“This is the first formal repeal of a right-to-work law anywhere in the country,” National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix said in an interview with The Daily Wire. “We anticipate that the unions will work to repeal right-to-work laws across the country.”
The veteran attorney explained that the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act, guarantees workers the right to organize into trade unions and participate in collective bargaining. The Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act, later amended the law so states could pass right-to-work legislation.
Mix added that states like Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee, and Nevada have each attempted to repeal right-to-work laws in the past. He predicted that “there will be litigation” surrounding the abused implementation of the expanded power granted to unions rather than whether the state could repeal the legislation.
Unions have lost more than 143,000 members since the right-to-work laws entered into effect in 2012, according to an <a href="https://www.mackinac.org/pressroom/2022/more-than-140000-michiganders-have-left-their-unions-since-2012" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. There are now 26.5% fewer workers paying membership fees to the state’s largest unions; particularly severe losses occurred in the Service Employees International Union, which saw a nearly 66% decline in membership between 2012 and 2022, as well as the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which saw a 49% decline. The American Federation of Teachers and the Michigan Education Association witnessed 32% decreases in membership.
Mackinac Center Director of Labor Policy Steve Delie told The Daily Wire that the decline in union power over the past decade also corresponded with a consistently lower unemployment rate, an increased number of jobs, substantial rises in average income, and larger population influxes relative to the decade before the right-to-work laws were enacted. “Unfortunately, with right-to-work’s repeal, we are concerned that the state will return to the slower and weaker economy we had in the early 2000s,” he commented.
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Mix likewise remarked that job growth in the manufacturing sector is five times faster in right-to-work states in comparison to forced union states, while site selection consultants have grown increasingly adamant about expanding in right-to-work states. “Governor Whitmer is whistling past the graveyard if she thinks companies that were looking at Michigan previously will not take a second look now that right-to-work is no longer part of the equation,” he noted.
Labor unions are known to overwhelmingly finance Democratic entities rather than their Republican counterparts. Delie confirmed that unions such as the United Auto Workers, the Michigan Region of Carpenters, and the AFL-CIO made extensive donations in the midterm elections and noted that there is now “a more direct tie in policies being advanced by unions in Michigan with political spending.” House Bill 4235, for instance, would <a href="https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billintroduced/House/pdf/2023-HIB-4235.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provide</a> a refundable tax credit to union members who pay their dues, meaning that “if union members’ dues exceed their state tax bill, the treasury will cut them a check.”
Delie said the Mackinac Center has “yet to hear” about similar repeal efforts in other states but predicted that such moves would occur in swing states. “Those are the states where a shift in partisan control can lead to broad policy changes, like the ones we are currently seeing in Michigan,” he commented.

How Unions’ Bellwether Victory In Michigan Could Expand To Other States

How Unions’ Bellwether Victory In Michigan Could Change The Future Of Work In America

Democrats

Economy

Labor Unions

Michigan Democratic Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> enacted legislation repealing <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">right-to-work</a> laws in the state on Friday, the first time such laws have been overturned in five decades.
The right-to-work measures had allowed residents to decline union membership in their workplaces and exempted them from being forced to pay union dues. Whitmer and other Democrats nevertheless celebrated the repeal, which marks a major victory for labor unions.
“Today, we are coming together to restore workers’ rights, protect Michiganders on the job, and grow Michigan’s middle class,” Whitmer <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/03/24/whitmer-signs-restoring-workers-rights-bill-package-into-law#:~:text=%E2%80%9CToday%2C%20we%20are%20coming%20together,treated%20with%20dignity%20and%20respect.">said</a>. “These bills will protect health and safety, ensuring healthcare workers can put patient care ahead of profit, construction workers can speak up when there’s a safety issue, and employees can call attention to food safety threats and other problems. Let’s continue delivering for working people.”
Michigan Democrats assumed control of the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the legislature for the first time since 1983 after the midterm elections, enabling them to repeal the right-to-work laws signed by former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.
Unions have lost more than 143,000 members since the right-to-work laws entered into effect in 2012, according to an <a href="https://www.mackinac.org/pressroom/2022/more-than-140000-michiganders-have-left-their-unions-since-2012" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. There are now 26.5% fewer workers paying membership fees to the state’s largest unions; particularly severe losses occurred in the Service Employees International Union, which saw a nearly 66% decline in membership between 2012 and 2022, as well as the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which saw a 49% decline. The American Federation of Teachers and the Michigan Education Association each witnessed 32% decreases in membership.
Whitmer, who won re-election in November, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nations-largest-teachers-unions-dump-at-least-2-25-million-on-michigan-gov-whitmer-re-election-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> at least $2.25 million from the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. She previously received criticism for recommending the end of virtual instruction for the state’s government schools as late as March 2021.
House Republican Leader Matt Hall condemned the repeal of the right-to-work laws in a <a href="https://gophouse.org/posts/leader-hall-democrat-pay-cut-plan-will-set-michigan-workers-economy-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> last week, asserting that the new legislation would deter firms from entering the state and thereby worsen employment outcomes.
“As Michigan struggles to compete for businesses and high-paying careers, Democrats are dead set on pushing forward their pay cut plan that would set our state, our workers, and our economy further behind. I’ve spoken to businesses looking to invest in Michigan and heard firsthand how repealing right-to-work would turn businesses away and let high-paying careers go to other states.”
One recent <a href="https://www.mackinac.org/pressroom/2023/michigan-voters-favor-right-to-work-law-by-a-2-1-margin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from the Mackinac Center found that 58% of voters supported the right-to-work laws, while only 29% opposed them. Some 71% of Republicans and right-leaning independents in Michigan supported the laws, while the 46% of Democrats and left-leaning independents who supported the laws outnumbered the 40% of their counterparts who were opposed.
Whitmer and allied Democratic lawmakers have also prioritized new gun control measures following their takeover of the legislature. One bill would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-to-push-for-gun-control-after-re-election-victory-dem-takeover-of-state-legislature" target="_blank" rel="noopener">institute</a> a red flag law under which a judge could authorize the seizure of firearms from someone who is believed to be a risk to themselves or others. The legislation proposes to “provide for the issuance of restraining orders prohibiting certain individuals from possessing or purchasing firearms and ordering the surrender and seizure of a restrained individual’s firearms.”

Michigan Repeals ‘Right-To-Work’ Law In Major Victory For Unions

Michigan Governor Whitmer Repeals 'Right-To-Work' Law In Major Victory For Unions

General

Republican lawmakers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> have sounded the alarm on a massive Ford battery plant proposal – backed by Democratic Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> – that would send $15 million to Norfolk Southern, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pa-governor-accuses-norfolk-southern-of-giving-the-middle-finger-to-residents-after-ohio-train-crash-makes-criminal-referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">railway company</a> at the center of the train derailment and chemical burn in East Palestine, Ohio. 
The Lansing lawmakers are being asked to <a href="https://mibiz.com/sections/economic-development/michigan-wants-750-million-to-prep-site-for-ford-ev-battery-plant-on-top-of-1-billion-incentives-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allot</a> an additional $750 million for a proposed Ford battery plant in the Great Lakes State, which has already received more than $1 billion in incentives and tax cuts. According to Republican state Rep. James DeSana, as much as $15 million of the new proposal “could be earmarked to help the troubled Norfolk Southern Railway Company expand its footprint in Michigan,” The Midwesterner <a href="https://www.themidwesterner.news/exclusive/rep-dems-could-send-15-million-to-embattled-norfolk-southern-for-ford-china-marshall-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“It’s always a bad idea to expect taxpayers to foot the bill for corporate welfare projects – but this proposal is particularly egregious,” DeSana said in a <a href="http://www.gophouse.org/posts/rep-desana-whitmer-administration-proposes-handout-for-norfolk-southern-despite-dangerous-track-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Norfolk Southern has had two dangerous train derailments in the Midwest this month – one in Michigan and another that leaked hazardous chemicals that are still causing serious concerns for families in Ohio. Yet Gov. Whitmer is asking us to ignore all that and hand over taxpayer dollars to help Norfolk Southern grow in Michigan.”
Whitmer pushed for the electric vehicle battery plant to come to her state to secure more jobs for Michiganders, but the proposal previously generated controversy since Ford is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/13/ford-ev-battery-plant-china-catl.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnering</a> with a Chinese company on the plant. The request for an additional $750 million, including the $15 million earmark for Norfolk Southern, needs approval from the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature. 
The $15 million to Norfolk Southern would <a href="https://archive.ph/jULhO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> go toward rail improvements. Whitmer’s office did not respond to a Daily Wire request for comment on the proposal, but the Democratic governor responded to questions about the issue on Thursday, claiming the $15 million isn&#8217;t &#8220;company specific.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to build out the infrastructure around it, from roads to a rail hub to water infrastructure and utilities, and so that&#8217;s what these resources are for,&#8221; Whitmer said, <a href="https://www.gongwer.com/login/?relink=https://www.gongwer.com/news/index.cfm?a=620390103" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Gongwer. &#8220;So it&#8217;s not company specific, it&#8217;s about building out a community that&#8217;s very excited about this big investment.&#8221;
Controversy has rocked the $51 billion Atlanta-based railway company in recent weeks. After the derailment in East Palestine, Norfolk Southern conducted a “controlled burn” of the volatile chemical vinyl chloride to decrease the risk of an explosion.
Soon after the controlled burn, residents of the eastern Ohio town <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-like-the-devil-was-dancing-and-having-a-party-east-palestine-resident-describes-witnessing-train-derailment-turned-chemical-catastrophe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> physical symptoms they believe resulted from the fire, including headaches, sore throats, and digestive issues — not to mention the lingering taste of chemicals, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-like-the-devil-was-dancing-and-having-a-party-east-palestine-resident-describes-witnessing-train-derailment-turned-chemical-catastrophe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
After the February 3 derailment in Ohio, another company train <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/16/train-derailment-in-michigan-near-detroit/11274008002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">derailed</a> just outside of Detroit on February 16, although no hazardous materials were on board any of those cars.
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The railway company has taken full responsibility for the disaster, pledging to clean up the environmental mess in East Palestine and hiring experts to test the quality of the town’s water and air, but that’s not enough for some Michigan Republicans. 
“Until a full investigation of the Norfolk Southern derailments in Ohio and Michigan is complete, I can’t believe we’re even discussing appropriating $15,000,000 to expand their operations in Michigan,” state Rep. Andrew Fink (R) told The Midwesterner.
Brandon Drey contributed to this report.
This story has been updated to include a comment from Gov. Whitmer.

Norfolk Southern:Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer Admin’s Proposed Battery Plant Handout Would Send Millions To Railway Company At Center Of Ohio Derailment Disaster

Norfolk Southern

Ohio

Ohio Train Disaster

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday made excuses for using the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, despite Congress and most states partially or fully banning the app on government-issued devices.
Appearing on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/02/12/tiktok-gretchen-whitmer-tapper-contd-sotu-vpx.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the Union</a>,&#8221; Whitmer was pressed by host Jake Tapper on why she continues to use the app after concerns about data privacy sparked politicians across the country to take action.
&#8220;You&#8217;re active on TikTok,&#8221; Tapper began. &#8220;And I get it, it&#8217;s fun. But I deleted my app from my phone because so many people kept coming on my show saying, delete it, delete it, delete it. The Chinese government has access to your data. Is it appropriate for you to be on TikTok when the FBI says it&#8217;s a national security concern?&#8221;
&#8220;We use TikTok on one device that has nothing else on it,&#8221; Whitmer responded. &#8220;It is a communication tool. We don&#8217;t do it because it&#8217;s fun, although some people think what I put out there can be fun on occasion&#8230; But the point is, we have it on one device that has no access to anything else, because so many people get their information that way.&#8221;
&#8220;Whether we like it or not, that is a tool for disseminating important information,&#8221; she added. &#8220;And that&#8217;s how we use it. But we&#8217;re always evaluating because we want to make sure that we are protecting data in Michigan. And that&#8217;s why we&#8217;re always evaluating. But, at this point, the way we use it is secure.&#8221;
But when pressed again by Tapper about the negative effects on Americans&#8217; mental health, Whitmer admitted that young people need to learn that the app is not a reliable source of information.
&#8220;We need to have some congressional measures taken to ensure that there is some integrity in it,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But, also, we got to teach our kids that this is not a real robust offering of information, for you to distill and make your own decisions.&#8221;
Whitmer&#8217;s official TikTok account, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@biggretchwhitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@biggretchwhitmer</a>, has more than 190,000 followers.
Governors and lawmakers in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/16/tech/tiktok-state-restrictions/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">32 of the 50</a> states have taken action to ban the app from being used on state-owned devices. Four other states have similar proposed bills in their state legislatures. Congress also included a provision in the $1.7 trillion omnibus budget bill late last year, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-banned-from-devices-issued-by-u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned the app</a> from federal government devices. Government leaders have all cited the app&#8217;s excessive data permissions requests and the security risks it could pose.

Gretchen Whitmer Defends Using TikTok Despite Most States And Congress Banning Use On Govt Devices

Big Tech

Jake Tapper

State of the Union

TikTok

A man found guilty of conspiring to kidnap Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Barry Croft, Jr. was a leader in the plot against the governor along with Adam Fox, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-kidnapping-plotter-sentenced-to-16-years-in-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to 16 years in prison on Tuesday. Croft was convicted of conspiracy and on an explosives charge alongside Fox in August.
Croft was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison. He is the seventh man to be sentenced in connection with the plot against Whitmer. Fox was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday, and three others were sentenced in state court earlier this month. Two others were sentenced in federal court earlier this year, according to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/28/barry-croft-whitmer-kidnapping-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a>.
“Although he may not have had hierarchical control over all the other participants, he coordinated and pushed the implementation of the conspiracy from its inception to its final stages,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said of Croft in a court filing, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-gov-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-co-leader-barry-croft-jr-sentenced-19-years-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;The only remaining step was for the governor to appear at her cottage so they could launch their plan, but fortunately she was still beyond their control,&#8221; he added.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker, who handed down Croft and Fox’s sentences, described Croft as “the idea guy” and “a very convincing communicator,” according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/12/28/1145812509/gov-whitmer-plot-sentence-croft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a>.
Two other men were acquitted earlier this year on charges of conspiring to kidnap the governor.
Croft’s attorney, Joshua Blanchard, tried to downplay his client’s role in the conspiracy and dismiss some of what Croft was recorded saying as crazy talk.
“Simply put, to the extent that the jury determined he was a participant, as they necessarily did, he was a participant to a lesser degree than others,” Blanchard said in a court filing, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/barry-croft-jr-sentencing-wednesday-gretchen-whitmer-kidnap-plot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.

Second Ringleader In Plot To Kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Sentenced To Nearly 20 Years In Prison

Crime

Department of Justice

A federal judge sentenced Adam Fox, convicted in August of conspiring to kidnap Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a>, to 16 years in prison on Tuesday.
Fox was one of the ringleaders of the plan against the governor, prosecutors said. The scheme was stopped by federal agents who infiltrated Fox’s circle during a roughly 10-month investigation.
“Mr. Fox was probably a person more than anyone else who was pumping up the idea,” U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said during Fox’s sentencing, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/michigan-man-sentenced-in-plot-to-kidnap-gov-gretchen-whitmer-11672159483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
Fox was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jury-convicts-two-men-of-conspiring-to-kidnap-michigan-governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of conspiring to kidnap the governor alongside Barry Croft, who prosecutors characterized as the plot’s idea man. In addition to the conspiracy to kidnap charge, the two men were also each convicted of conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction. Croft is scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday.
“Mr. Fox, and his confederate Mr. Croft, were convicted by a jury of masterminding a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan and to use weapons of mass destruction against responding law enforcement,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/first-two-convicted-trial-michigan-governor-kidnapping-plot-sentenced-16-years-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Matthew Olsen, assistant attorney general for national security for the Department of Justice.
“Today’s sentence reflects the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to protecting our elected officials, law enforcement officers, and dedicated public servants from criminal threats and violence — and to holding the perpetrators of such acts fully accountable under the law,” Olsen said.
Though Fox played a key role in attempting to push the plot forward, the conspirator was not a natural leader, Jonker said. The judge appeared to agree with Fox’s attorney Christopher Gibbons’ request for mercy for his client and avoid a life sentence.
“(T)he Government in its memorandum employs exaggerated language to create the false narrative of a terrifying paramilitary leader,” Gibbons argued in court documents, according to the <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/27/whitmer-kidnap-plot-leader-adam-fox-sentencing/69758678007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Free Press</a>. “Adam Fox is described as creating an army with a cadre of operators. … These histrionic descriptions of Adam Fox do not rationally address his actual conduct and they do not accurately reflect either his actual intentions or his actual capabilities.”
“Adam Fox was an unemployed vacuum repairman who was venting his frustrations on social media but abiding by the laws of the State of Michigan. Adam Fox is not the leader of a multistate &#8216;army&#8217; of domestic terrorists,” Gibbons said.
Fox’s sentencing comes after three men were sentenced in a state court earlier this month for providing material support to a terrorist act in relation to the kidnapping plot.

Whitmer Kidnapping Plotter Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gun control</a> is on the docket for Michigan’s Democratic leaders and lawmakers after the party boasted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-moves-left-as-dems-celebrate-wins-up-and-down-the-ballot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historic wins</a> in the state’s midterm elections last week.
Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/gov-gretchen-whitmers-do-list-gun-control-tax-cuts-right-work-repeal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> news outlet Bridge Michigan in an interview published Wednesday that gun control is a top priority heading into her second term, now with Democratic majorities in both chambers of the state’s legislature. Democrats in the state previously introduced a “red flag” law along with other gun regulations, and Whitmer believes the measures are within reach for lawmakers to pass.
“I think that these are each individually proven policy solutions that could mitigate the likelihood of a future shooting, and so I think that&#8217;s where we need to start,” Whitmer said.
The governor pointed to the recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-high-school-shooting-suspect-faces-murder-and-terrorism-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school shooting</a> in Oxford, Michigan, as a reason to push forward with gun control. Four students at Oxford High School were killed by a classmate who opened fire on the school on November 30, 2021.
“I do believe that you will all of a sudden see a very different environment in Lansing where the Oxford families and advocates will have the ability to make their voices heard and to inform and drive the policy change that this current legislature has completely shut the door to,” she commented.
The most troubling legislation for many conservatives is a proposed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michels-slams-red-flag-laws-says-left-just-wants-to-take-away-guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">red flag law</a>, <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2022-SIB-0856.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate Bill No. 856</a>, that would allow a judge to authorize the seizure of guns from someone who is believed to be a risk to themselves or others. The bill proposes to “provide for the issuance of restraining orders prohibiting certain individuals from possessing or purchasing firearms and ordering the surrender and seizure of a restrained individual&#8217;s firearms.”
Along with the red flag law, Whitmer is pushing to stop people from buying guns from a private seller without going through a background check and wants to force gun owners with children in the home to secure firearms in a lockbox.
After last Tuesday’s election, Democrats gained control of the state’s legislature for the first time since 1983. The party will hold a one-vote majority in the state House and believe they will win a two-seat majority in the Senate as votes are still being counted in some races. Republicans conceded their control of both chambers last week, <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2022/11/09/michigan-democrats-poised-to-win-control-of-legislature-for-1st-time-in-decades/69632790007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Detroit News. With slim majorities, Democrats will likely have to stay fully united to pass any gun legislation, as Republicans have blocked previous attempts from Democratic lawmakers to send gun control legislation to Whitmer’s desk.
Incoming state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt told Bridge News that “it’s unfortunate that Democrats are trying to look for ways to limit individuals’ liberty and freedom.”
“Any (areas) where they&#8217;re going to limit individual freedom, I’m going to fight against,” he added. “If there’s going to be ways they expand individual freedom, I’ll partner with them.”

Whitmer To Push For Gun Control After Re-Election Victory, Dem Takeover Of State Legislature

Elections

Gun Control

Michigan Republicans were hopeful for a repudiation of the state’s current leftist trajectory Tuesday night. They were met with the opposite.
Democrats are projected to win key races and ballot measures across the board in the Great Lakes State, led by Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-hangs-on-despite-late-republican-surge-projection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer&#8217;s re-election victory</a>. The party is also set to win multiple tight U.S. House races, enshrine a right to abortion in the state’s constitution, and take control of the state legislature for the first time in 40 years.
“We have come a long way, Michigan,” Whitmer <a href="https://www.fox17online.com/news/election-2022/gretchen-whitmer-beats-tudor-dixon-will-serve-4-more-years-as-governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a crowd of her supporters early Wednesday morning. “We are thrilled at the unexpected high turnout, we are thrilled that the three ballot initiatives got passed.”
Michigan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/us/abortion-rights-ballot-proposals.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> California and Vermont in passing ballot initiatives to add a right to abortion in their states’ constitutions. The approved measure now supersedes a 1931 Michigan law that bans all abortions unless the mother’s life is at risk. Whitmer campaigned heavily on the issue of abortion, pointing at her opponent Tudor Dixon as too radical in her opposition to abortion.
The approved amendment recognizes a “right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care.” Opponents of the proposal <a href="https://www.heritage.org/life/commentary/michigans-radical-proposition-3-ballot-measure-would-go-far-beyond-just-codifying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argue</a> it goes beyond codifying abortion rights by erasing Michigan’s protections of those born alive after a botched abortion and “pav[ing] the way for eugenic abortions, or abortions based on sex, disability, or race.”
U.S. House results from Michigan were another bright spot for Democrats as the party looks to hold onto more seats than what many expected. In the state’s 7th congressional district toss-up race, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) is projected to defeat GOP challenger Tom Barrett. Democrats <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/2022/general/states/Michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appear poised</a> to flip the state’s 3rd district, with current vote counts showing Democrat Hillary Scholten up by 13 points on Trump-endorsed Republican John Gibbs. Democrats poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Gibbs’ primary race to boost his run against Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI). Current results also show incumbent Democrat Dan Kildee holding onto a 5-point lead against Republican Paul Junge in what was considered another toss-up race.
In another show of Democratic dominance in Michigan on Tuesday night, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson soundly defeated Republican Kristina Karamo, and Attorney General Dana Nessel appears set to win her election against Matthew DePerno, leading by seven points with an estimated 92% of the vote counted.
Democrats are also projected to gain control of the state’s legislature for the first time since 1983. The party said Wednesday morning that they will hold a one-vote majority in the state House and believe they will win a two-seat majority in the Senate. Republicans conceded their control of both chambers, <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2022/11/09/michigan-democrats-poised-to-win-control-of-legislature-for-1st-time-in-decades/69632790007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Detroit News.

Michigan Democrats

Michigan Moves Left As Dems Celebrate Wins Up And Down The Ballot

2022 Midterms

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer will defeat Republican Tudor Dixon in Michigan’s closely-watched gubernatorial election, according to a projection. 
The winner was projected by DecisionDeskHQ at 1:13 a.m. EST.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Decision Desk HQ projects Gretchen Whitmer (D) re-elected governor in Michigan.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DecisionMade?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DecisionMade</a>: 1:13am EST
Follow more results here: <a href="https://t.co/5VrcT8rfqf">https://t.co/5VrcT8rfqf</a> <a href="https://t.co/Uj6LqBsgLJ">pic.twitter.com/Uj6LqBsgLJ</a>
&mdash; Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1590226251083833344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the re-elected governor addressed a room full of her enthusiastic supporters. &#8220;For the next four years, I ask you to believe in Michigan, to work with us and believe in our state. If we do, I know there is nothing we can’t accomplish,&#8221; Whitmer <a href="https://www.fox17online.com/news/election-2022/gretchen-whitmer-beats-tudor-dixon-will-serve-4-more-years-as-governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Holding this office has been the honor of my life, and I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity for the last four years.&#8221;
Dixon conceded the race in a phone call with Whitmer Wednesday morning. &#8220;Michigan’s future success rests not in elected officials or government, but all of us. It is incumbent upon all of us to help our children read, support law enforcement, and grow our economy,&#8221; the Republican said in a press release. &#8220;Thank you to our volunteers and supporters for working so hard to forge a better Michigan. We came up short, but we will never stop fighting for our families.&#8221;
Whitmer, 51, was heavily favored just a few months prior to the election, but a late Republican surge in polling along with voter distaste for Democrat policies on the economy and crime turned the race into a barn burner down the stretch. 
Dixon, a 45-year-old businesswoman, campaigned on reviving Michigan’s economy, fighting for children and parents in education, and reducing the state’s rising crime rate, while Whitmer focused heavily on protecting a right to abortion. After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, a 1931 Michigan law was set to go into effect banning abortion in the state before the law was suspended by a Michigan judge. Whitmer often pointed to Dixon’s opposition to abortion as a reason she was too radical for Michigan voters.
Another big issue throughout the campaign was the Great Lakes State’s economy. Michigan businesses were hit hard following the onset of the COVID pandemic as the Whitmer administration enacted some of the harshest lockdown measures in the country. 
The Republican candidate made a habit of reminding voters of the governor’s policies during the pandemic, and how she would have governed differently. For months after the onset of the pandemic, the Whitmer administration continued to order businesses to limit the number of customers they could serve and required they enact social distancing and mask requirements. Other businesses, like theaters and bowling centers, had to shut their doors completely from mid-March 2020 through that summer. 
To help the state recover from COVID lockdowns, Dixon pushed for reducing income taxes and slashing regulations to help boost a floundering economy and lure businesses into a state that has seen thousands of jobs leave in the past few years. Whitmer promised voters she was working hard to “bring the supply chain home” after the state lost nearly 82,o00 jobs during her first term. 
The governor also sought to highlight her police spending in the weeks leading up to the election after she was criticized in 2020 for saying she supports “the spirit” of the defund the police movement. 
As Michigan struggles with rising crime rates in its cities, Dixon promised to support law enforcement and first responders. In September, Dixon unveiled a $1 billion plan aimed at recruiting and retaining local law enforcement officers. Her proposal would seek to hire over 5,000 local officers, 500 state troopers, 2,000 state and local corrections officers, and 5,000 fire and EMS personnel. 
Dixon was not shy on culture war issues such as abortion and sexual progressivism. She consistently reaffirmed that she supports Michigan’s 1931 law banning abortion with an exception only for the life of the mother. In June, Dixon also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-tudor-dixon-ill-criminalize-involving-children-in-drag-shows">said</a> she would “sign a bill that creates severe criminal penalties for adults who involve children in drag shows.”

Tudor Dixon/Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Hangs On Despite Late Republican Surge: Projection

Tudor Dixon

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