Gary Peters ‘Ready to Get Michigan Back to Work,’ Won’t Criticize Whitmer Shutdown

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D) wants to “get Michigan back to work,” but so far, he hasn’t joined other Democrats who have criticized Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

Peters has released two ads, titled “Ready,” and “Safe,” in which he vaguely claims the state’s workers need to get back on the job, and he will be “tough on China.”

“I’m ready to get Michigan back to work,” he said in the ad, before saying, “We must take back production of life-saving drugs and medical supplies from China.”

Peters focuses more on China in the second ad.

“As we keep our loved ones safe, it’s important we plan for re-opening in a way that puts Michigan first,” he said.

He said he we need to be “honest” about China, and claimed he’s “always” been tough on the Chinese government and that he supported President Trump’s ban on travel from the country.

But to date, Peters has not joined other Democrats in criticizing Whitmer’s ongoing shutdown of the state.

Mark Hackel, the elected executive of Macomb County, told WDIV that Whitmer needs to “ease up” on her executive orders keeping much of the state shuttered and many Michiganders out of work.

Democrat Macomb County executive unimpressed with @GovWhitmer's plan, urges her to ease up on stay-at-home order #migov #michigancoronavirus @clickondetroit pic.twitter.com/b1gadJL3IU

— Michigan Rising Action (@MIRisingAction) May 13, 2020

WDIV reporter Rod Meloni noted the state’s goal was to “flatten the curve,” which it has been done.

“And now the goal post has been moved to something he doesn’t even recognize,” Meloni said of Hackel.

“Why are we still pushing forward with this nonessential opening in a slow, progressive sort of way?” Hackel said.

According to the news station, Hackel was “unimpressed” with Whitmer’s six-stage reopening plan.

“Let’s be honest, once it came out, nobody paid attention to it or is looking at it anymore,” he said.

On Monday, Detroit state Rep. Leslie Love (D) criticized Whitmer’s executive order regarding nursing homes, which required seniors who test positive for coronavirus be kept in the same facility or transferred to “regional hubs.”

“To return seniors into an environment, seniors with the virus still recovering from the virus, into an environment with, well, seniors, just didn’t seem — it’s not a good idea,” Love said.

“That would break my heart because I’ve been on the front lines of this, trying to make sure our seniors — my mother, your mother, anybody else’s mother — does not get sick and die from this, particularly if they’re in a nursing home,” she said.

In April, state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) was unanimously reprimanded by party activists for being critical of Whitmer and complimentary towards President Trump.

“I guess this is teaching me to be in my place, but it’s not going to stop me,” Whitsett said, Fox 2 reported.

“The only person that is being irresponsible is Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and I will continue to point the finger at her as long as black people in the city of Detroit are dying, and it’s not just black people.”

Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.