Democrat activists are considering a resolution on Saturday that “admonishes, rebukes, and reprimands” state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) after she criticized Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and praised President Donald Trump over their coronavirus responses.
Whitsett rose to media prominence when she was treated with hydroxycloroquine and said if it weren’t for Trump touting the drug as a remedy for COVID-19, she may not have survived.
Now, 13th Congressional District Democrats will be debating the resolution this weekend, which also declares she will not receive the party’s endorsement for reelection this year.
The resolution reads in part, according to Gongwer:
State Representative Karen Whitsett has repeatedly and publicly praised the president’s delayed and misguided COVID-19 response efforts in contradiction with the scientifically based and action-oriented response from Michigan’s duly election Democratic leadership … endangering the health, safety and welfare of her constituents, the city of Detroit, and the state of Michigan.
“Folks in the 13th were complaining about why is she attacking, why can’t she just sit down, she’s always acting like a fool up their in Lansing,” 13th District Democrat Party Chairman Jonathan Kinloch told Breitbart News.
Kinloch said her medical treatments “are between her and her doctor,” but the party’s beef with Whitsett is that she was critical of party members, namely Whitmer.
According to Kinloch, the party sought to “screen” the incumbent, along with other candidates, and he said she wasn’t interested.
He added he gave Whitsett an opportunity to defend herself against the resolution, “and she said no.”
Kinloch argued once Whitsett was elected, she “belonged to the precinct delegates and the members,” and that if they call her to have a conversation, “you do not have the luxury to say no.”
He said he didn’t have an issue with Whitsett visiting the White House and sitting alongside Trump to talk about her recovery, but many of his members did.
According to Gongwer, Whitsett “laughed” when she was told about the resolution and added she can “accept” the rebuke because she spoke the truth.
Kinloch told Breitbart News he thinks Whitsett has “a level of comfort that she’s going to win reelection.”
Whitsett visited the White House earlier this month to thank Trump.
“Thank you for everything that you have done,” Whitsett told Trump.
“I didn’t know that saying thank you had a political line,” she said. “I thought just saying thank you meant thank you.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) represents the 13th District in Congress.
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.
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