Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) blamed President Donald Trump for a group of individuals reportedly engaging in a plot to kidnap himself and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
Northam said on CNN’s “New Day” that people like those plotting to kidnap governors “take their marching orders” from people like President Donald Trump, who he said is “emboldening” white supremacists. Northam backed up that assertion by repeating the popular claim from Democrats that Trump called white supremacists in Charlottesville “very fine people.”
“You know, we’ve been dealing with threats way back since January. They’ve been multiple. We obviously work very closely with our security detail, they work with local officials, the FBI, and this was just yet another threat to us,” Northam told host John Berman. “But, you know, I think the message is that certainly, I don’t govern under a cloud of intimidation. That’s not who I am. And this is not about me. It’s not about the governor of Michigan — this is about this country.”
He continued, “And it’s about a president that is emboldening these individuals, these white supremacists and this started, John, back in Charlottesville, back in 2017, with that tremendous tragedy when white supremacists marched into that city, spewing their hatred and bigotry. Our president said that these were fine individuals. There’s nothing fine about them. And then in April, asking Virginians to liberate. He did the same in Michigan. You know, leadership, words matter. And these people take their marching orders from people like the president, and it’s unfortunate, and it needs to stop.”
Berman then noted Trump has tweeted “a call to supporters” to “liberate” both Michigan and Virginia.
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