Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer has apologized for — what people called — a ‘wretched’ video of her feeding an influencer a Dorito chip making fun of Catholics receiving the Eucharist. She said she would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith and the video that she made with TikToker Liz Plank was meant to promote Chips Act. But it was all construed as something it was never intended to be, she said as she apologized.
In the video, the influencer genuflected before Whitmer who placed a Dorito chip in her mouth as “Dilemma” song was playing in the background. Whitmer was wearing a Harris-Walz hat and the video was to campaign for Kamala Harris. But Catholics saw it as a spoof of the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Michigan Catholic Conference said it was not just distasteful or strange but an elected official was 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,” Conference’s CEO Paul Long said.
“Let’s be clear what’s happening in this video. Gov. Whitmer of Michigan is pretending to give communion to an 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?” former Trump advisor Tim Murtaugh posted on X.
Whitmer said her team spoke to the Michigan Catholic Conference and it was never meant to be distasteful.
Catholics believe the wafers used for the sacrament of communion transform into the body of the crucified Jesus Christ.
Whitmer has been Michigan’s governor Since 2019 and was considered a possible candidate for the presidential election from the Democratic party but she ruled herself out and threw her weight behind the Harris-Walz campaign. Michigan is one of the handful vital swing states that is expected to decide Harris’ race against Trump.