Even Though MI Gov. Walked Back Bogus Charges Against Trump, Sen. Murphy Tweets 'Michigan Is the New Ukraine'

FILE – In this Jan. 11, 2017 file photo, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is shown during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation designed to ensure federal and state governments accurately report relevant criminal history records to the FBI’s database of prohibited gun buyers. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

President Trump spoke to Fox News‘ Sean Hannity on Thursday night during his show. He was very critical of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. Trump said, “Your governor of Michigan, I mean, she’s not stepping up. I don’t know if she knows what’s going on, but all she does is sit there and blame the federal government. She doesn’t get it done. And we send her a lot.”

During a Friday morning interview with WWJ 950AM, Whitmer hit back.

Crain’s Detroit Business reports that Whitmer said, “a growing rift with the White House is affecting shipments of medical supplies to Michigan amid exponential growth in confirmed coronavirus cases. When the federal government told us that we needed to go it ourselves, we started procuring every item we could get our hands on. What I’ve gotten back is that vendors with whom we had contracts are now being told not to send stuff here to Michigan.”

She added, “The fact of the matter remains, we need help and at the very least we don’t need people standing in our way from getting it. We’re working incredibly hard. But these are serious times.”

Whitmer did not name the vendor or vendors, and offered no proof for her allegations. She’s essentially saying the Trump administration told vendors not to send her state “vitally needed supplies” to fight the coronavirus.

On Friday afternoon, the Michigan Governor was interviewed by CNN. According to Crain’s, she told CNN, “We’ve entered into a number of contracts and as we are getting closer to the date when shipments are supposed to come in, they’re getting canceled or they’re getting delayed. We’ve been told they’re going first to the federal government.”

Still very vague. Calls to the Governor’s office from a Crain’s reporter for specific information such as which vendors were refusing to send the supplies did not provide any information.

Historian Drew McCoy tweeted, “Whitmer just walked this waaay back on CNN. She said supplies she thought they bought were going to the federal government first. Said MA and Los Angeles were having the same issue. Very different than vendors saying her state was being singled out.”

Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI) said, “members of Michigan’s congressional delegation asked regional officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a Thursday conference call if vendor shipments were being redirected to FEMA. The FEMA Region 5 officials told congressional members there were no vendor shipments being diverted from Michigan and that “they would reach out (to suppliers) and try to solve the uncertainty.” Mitchell said that Whitmer’s allegations were “not productive.”

If Whitmer were telling the truth, she would offer specifics. She may even be ultimately responsible herself for the delays. She may have been late in placing her orders. There may have been an error in the order itself. How are we to know? But I seriously doubt that with everything the administration is doing to address this crisis, that they would deprive the people of Michigan, a state the President hopes to win in November, the supplies they need at this desperate time.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) knows Whitmer’s claims are BS, just as he knew impeaching the President over his phone call with the Ukrainian President was BS, but he just couldn’t help himself.

He sent out the tweet below.