Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement over the weekend claiming that a recent viral video in which she appeared to mock the Eucharist with a Dorito was "misconstrued."
"Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith. I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs," Whitmer told Fox 2 Detroit.
Whitmer stoked backlash on social media and drew criticism from the Michigan Catholic Conference last week for the Instagram video, which was posted on Canadian author and journalist Liz Plank's "feministabulous" Instagram and depicted Whitmer feeding a Dorito chip to a kneeling Plank.
After placing the chip on Plank's tongue in a way some critics condemned as blasphemous and vaguely "pornographic," Whitmer gazed into the camera while wearing a "Harris-Walz" hat.
Plank, who heads an influencer group dubbed "Hotties For Harris," also interviewed Whitmer, during which the two joked about the idea of Whitmer's two daughters receiving a "post-birth abortion." Whitmer laughed at the term, claiming "there's no such thing."
Whitmer maintained that the video was misconstrued and made to mean something it was never intended to.
A political aide close to Whitmer told Fox News Digital that the video was meant to partake in a viral TikTok trend in which people feed each other, though critics were skeptical of the explanation.
Paul A. Long, who serves as president and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference, said Whitmer and Plank's "skit goes further than the viral online trend that inspired it, specifically imitating the posture and gestures of Catholics receiving the Holy Eucharist, in which we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present."
"It is not just distasteful or 'strange,' it is an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices. While dialogue on this issue with the governor’s office is appreciated, whether or not insulting Catholics and the Eucharist was the intent, it has had an offensive impact," he added.
In her statement to Fox 2 Detroit, Whitmer acknowledged the concerns of the Michigan Catholic Conference and said she had communicated with them.
"My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference. 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," she said.
Whitmer, who has also drawn criticism over the years from conservative Roman Catholics and other Christians for her liberal abortion policies, has raised eyebrows before on social media for posting content offensive to Catholics.
On Jan. 6, 2021, she tweeted a picture of a prayer candle depicting failed Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, writing, "Good morning!"
