Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon slammed Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s support for the Defund the Police movement during a debate Thursday in Michigan.
“We know the governor came out and said she supports the spirit of defund the police, and we know that while we were all locked down, she went out and marched with folks who held up signs that said, ‘Defund the Police,'” Tudor stated.
She continued:
I’m actually endorsed by the largest police union in the state of Michigan, the police officer’s association of Michigan, and more than two dozen sheriffs, including Democrats, because they are so upset about the fact that the governor doesn’t support them.
My plan will put a billion new dollars into policing to make sure they know they’re supported but also to recruit and retain new police officers. It’s so challenging to bring p0lice officers to a state where the chief executive officer has supported Defund the Police. We’re going to make sure that not only are they supported, they have the tools they need, they have the technology they need, and they have the mental health help they need.
In June 2020, Whitmer told protesters to wear masks and stay six feet apart but appeared to violate her own rules later during a protest in Detroit over the death of George Floyd, Breitbart News reported.
“She marched along as the closely packed large group chanted, ‘Hands up, don’t shoot,’ and ‘This is what democracy looks like,'” the outlet said.
That same month, Whitmer told the Root she supported the “spirit” of defunding police then clarified she did not, according to Breitbart News.
Dixon concluded her remarks on Thursday by stating law enforcement officers “will always know that a Dixon administration has their back. We will never defund the police.”