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Whitmer Doritos video on TikTok trend angers Catholics

Whitmer Doritos video on TikTok trend angers Catholics

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has built a large online following with playful videos that explore pop culture moments and convey a political message. But Whitmer’s latest attempt to tap into a social media trend was first met with eye rolls from Republicans and then a fierce pushback from the Catholic Church in Michigan.

The video appears to be a reference to a social media phenomenon in which people feed each other, which became popular when late-night television host Stephen Colbert was fed pizza by actor Jeremy Allen White from the television show “The Bear.” became. A video posted to Instagram last week shows Whitmer feeding a nacho cheese Dorito to podcaster Liz Plank, who appears to be sitting or kneeling on the floor – the angle of the video makes it unclear. Plank sticks out her tongue and Whitmer places the Dorito on Plank’s tongue, who begins to chew on it. As Plank chews with a satisfied expression, the camera shows Whitmer holding the bag of chips, wearing a camouflage hat that says “HARRIS WALZ” and a serious expression. Whitmer is national co-chair of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s presidential campaign.

The caption for the video – which was later edited – reads: “If he doesn’t do it, Gretchen Whitmer will. Not only are chips delicious, the CHIPS Act fundamentally changes technology and manufacturing in the US and boosts domestic production of semiconductors. “Reducing dependence on foreign suppliers would endanger Donald Trump.” The CHIPS Act is one of the laws , which Harris campaigned on to make clear that a manufacturing renaissance is underway and would continue under a Harris presidency.

Republican lawmakers in Michigan immediately called the video “strange” in social media posts. And then the Michigan Catholic Conference took exception to Whitmer’s apparent attempt to participate in a social media trend, saying that in Whitmer’s reenactment, Plank appeared to be imitating the Catholic sacrament of communion.

“The skit goes beyond the viral online trend that inspired it, specifically imitating the posture and gestures of Catholics as they receive the Holy Eucharist, in which we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present,” said Paul Long, president and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference issued an Oct. 11 statement. “It’s not just tasteless or ‘weird’; It is an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious figures and their practices. “While dialogue with the Governor’s Office on this issue is welcome, it has had an offensive effect, regardless of whether the intent was to insult Catholics and the Eucharist.”

Some Catholics who may not have come across Whitmer’s viral social media post heard about it in the pews on Sunday. But some have already protested violently against the video. According to a report in the Lansing State Journal, a group of several dozen protesters mobilized by a group called CatholicVote showed up outside the governor’s mansion in Lansing and prayed the rosary. CatholicVote in social media posts bolsters former President Donald Trump’s campaign and calls Harris-Walz ticket anti-Catholic.

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The event was promoted by state Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, who is no stranger to controversy himself on social media, including when he amplified a racist conspiracy theory in a post earlier this year. According to the Lansing State Journal, a priest who attended the demonstration outside the governor’s mansion wore a “Make America Great Again” hat.

Whitmer issued an apology statement for her video on Sunday. “In my 25 years of public service, I would never do anything that denigrates anyone’s faith,” Whitmer said in the statement. “My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference. What was intended to be a video about what the CHIPS Act means for jobs in Michigan was interpreted as something it was never intended to be, and I apologize.”

A spokesman for Whitmer’s PAC, which supported Harris’ run for the White House, did not respond to a request for comment about the messaging strategy behind the video.

Catholics in the United States are politically polarized and in Michigan they are living in a critical state of upheaval that could determine the outcome of the presidential election campaign. According to a 2023 online survey by the Pew Research Center, 52 percent of Catholics eligible to vote in the U.S. identify as Republican or lean toward the party. And 44% of Catholic voters identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party.

Whitmer is not taking part in the election this year, but is campaigning for Harris in the final stretch of the presidential election.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: [email protected] or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, formerly called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

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