(Headline USA) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer apologized this week for a bizarre TikTok video, in which she appeared to mock a sacred Catholic rite.
In the video, the Democrat was seen taking a Doritos chip out of a bag and placing it into the mouth of a kneeling leftist podcaster, Liz Plank. The video then panned to Whitmer, who was wearing a camouflage Harris–Walz hat.
How else can this be interpreted other than mockery of Catholics and the sacrament of Holy Communion, not to mention the distasteful pornographic innuendo? Gretchen Whitmer is only the latest example of the gross anti-Catholic bigotry festering inside the Democratic Party. pic.twitter.com/KG1BmHYkJM
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) October 10, 2024
The bizarre clip was seen by religious leaders as a spoof of the Catholic Church’s communion, during which Catholic parishioners kneel to receive the Eucharist sacraments directly from a bishop or priest.
According to the doctrine of transubstantiation, the blessed wafer is literally transformed into the body of Jesus Christ.
“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, in a statement afterward.
Whitmer, however, tried to claim the video was intended to spotlight the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which allocated nearly $53 billion toward building the U.S.’s own semiconductor supply chain.
“What was supposed to be a video about the importance of the CHIPS Act to Michigan jobs, has been construed as something it was never intended to be, and I apologize for that,” she claimed, according to Fox 2.
“Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith,” she continued. “I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs.”
The governor also claimed her team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference to resolve the issue.
Long confirmed Whitmer’s office reached out to his organization, but said that “while dialogue on this issue with the governor’s office is appreciated,” and regardless of “whether … insulting Catholics and the Eucharist was the intent,” the video was “offensive” to many.
“People of this state and across the country have grown tired of and continue to express their alarm at the bar of civility and respect toward people of faith lowering by the day,” Long added.
