President Donald Trump on Friday accused Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) of “viciously threatening” the Ford Motor Company over his decision not to wear a face mask for part of his visit to the automaker.
“The Wacky Do Nothing Attorney General of Michigan, Dana Nessel, is viciously threatening Ford Motor Company for the fact that I inspected a Ventilator plant without a mask. Not their fault, & I did put on a mask,” President Trump wrote on social media. “No wonder many auto companies left Michigan, until I came along!”
The president wrote in a subsequent tweet: “Do nothing A.G. of the Great State of Michigan, Dana Nessel, should not be taking her anger and stupidity out on Ford Motor – they might get upset with you and leave the state, like so many other companies have – until I came along and brought business back to Michigan. JOBS!”
On Thursday afternoon, President Trump toured Ford’s Rawsonville plant, where he wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs. When it came time to the public part of the tour, the president took off his mask.
“Bill Ford encouraged President Trump to wear a mask when he arrived. He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years,” Ford said in a statement. “The President later removed the mask for the remainder of the visit.”
TMZ published a photo of President Trump in a mask during the private part of the tour.
Following President Trump’s tour, Nessel called the president a “petulant child, who refuses to follow the rules” and said he is no longer welcome in Michigan.
“Today’s events were extremely disappointing, and yet totally predictable. I will say that, understanding of course that his own doctor, Dr. Fauci, recommends the wearing of masks in public and closed spaces. The CDC makes that recommendation and in Michigan, that is the law, and a court just upheld that hours ago,” she told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “And even in Ford, it’s there own policy. The president is like a petulant child, who refuses to follow the rule, and I have to say, this is no joke.”
Earlier in the day, she threatened to “take action” against Michigan company that would welcome the president and “allows him inside [its] facilities and puts our workers at risk.”