Catholic leaders in Michigan, including all seven diocesan bishops, have expressed strong disapproval of governor Gretchen Whitmer‘s recent viral video, which has been widely viewed as ridiculing the Christian sacrament of Holy Communion, as reported by Fox News.
The clip, shared on feminist author Liz Plank’s Instagram page, features Whitmer wearing a Harris-Walz hat and placing a Doritos chip into Plank’s mouth while she kneels on the floor.”It is not just distasteful or ‘strange;’ it is an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices,” said Paul A Long, president and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC), in a statement representing the views of the state’s Catholic leaders.
The video was intended to promote US vice president Kamala Harris’ policies ahead of the presidential election, emerging from Whitmer’s appearance on Plank’s “Chip Chat” podcast published on YouTube. Plank’s caption read, “If he won’t, Gretchen Whitmer will. Chips aren’t just delicious, the CHIPS Act is a game-changer for US tech and manufacturing, boosting domestic production of semiconductors to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers! Donald Trump would put that at risk.”
In their statement, the Catholic conference expressed “profound disappointment and offense” regarding Whitmer’s actions. They noted that the skit features Whitmer mimicking the gesture of administering Communion, saying, “The governor then stares expressionless into the camera.”
Conservatives on social media have also accused Whitmer and Plank of mocking the Christian sacrament. Former Trump advisor Tim Murtaugh commented, “Let’s be clear what’s happening in this video. gov. Whitmer of Michigan is pretending to give communion to a leftist podcaster on her knees, using a Dorito as the Eucharist while wearing a Harris-Walz hat. Do they want ZERO Catholic votes for Harris?”
A political aide for Whitmer defended the video as a blend of pop culture in her communications. Long argued that Whitmer’s video “goes further than the viral online trend that inspired it” and called for a return to respect and civility towards religious beliefs.