Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking the state’s taxpayers to shell out $1.1 million in security upgrades for her state-owned residence.
Whitmer’s office told the Detroit News on Friday that the security renovations, which include an 8-foot electrified perimeter fence, would help “ensure the safety, security, and protection of any sitting governor and first family. These updates are necessary because of the threats Whitmer has received, she claimed.
The Michigan State Police confirmed that they recommended the renovations, but would not comment on specific threats Whitmer has allegedly received.
“As a matter of practice, we’re constantly reviewing security protocols and adjusting as needed,” Shanon Banner, spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police, said in a statement.
Whitmer is the latest Democratic official to demand additional security in light of recent protests that have often found their way to the homes of governing leaders. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently banned all protesters from entering her block, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler decided to move altogether so as to avoid rioters.
Whitmer’s new security feature, however, is particularly ironic given her opposition to President Trump’s border wall. In 2017, she called the border wall “costly and ineffective,” and argued that the money for the wall would be better spent elsewhere.
$40 BILLION for the wall. Think how many kids that would educate, how many roads, bridges and pipes it would fix. https://t.co/R9HaqLAsMZ
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) January 25, 2017
And in 2018, Whitmer campaigned against Trump’s wall, arguing “it is time we get back to building bridges, not walls.”
“We must stand together, because when we do, we cannot fail. It is time we get back to building bridges. Not walls.” pic.twitter.com/TARxBlnKKW
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) June 30, 2018
