Well, here we go again, folks. Another day, another dust-up between Democrats that leaves us wondering if there’s any real leadership left on that side of the aisle. This time, it’s Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the hot seat after she waffled on defending her own Attorney General, Dana Nessel, from some pretty serious accusations of religious bias hurled by none other than Rep. Rashida Tlaib. You know, Squad member and reliable critic of anything that even remotely supports Israel.
To catch you up, Nessel—Michigan’s first Jewish Attorney General—charged a group of anti-Israel protesters at the University of Michigan for refusing to leave campus after police told them to scram. A pretty straightforward legal matter, right? Not to Tlaib, who quickly jumped to accuse Nessel of using her religious background to drive her decision, suggesting that because Nessel is Jewish, the charges were somehow “shameful” and motivated by bias. That’s a heck of an accusation, especially coming from someone who has built a reputation on her hostility toward Israel.
Instead of showing some backbone and backing up Nessel, Whitmer decided to play it safe—too safe. When asked point-blank by CNN’s Jake Tapper if she thought Tlaib’s comments were antisemitic, Whitmer delivered what can only be described as a masterclass in political non-answers. She refused to pick a side, instead talking about keeping students safe on campus and the importance of free speech. Yeah, because that’s really what this whole issue is about, right? Free speech?
“Do you think Attorney General Nessel is not doing her job? Because Congresswoman Tlaib is suggesting that she shouldn’t be prosecuting these individuals that Nessel says broke the law, and that she’s only doing it because she’s Jewish, and the protesters are not,” Tapper asked. “That’s quite an accusation. Do you think it’s true?”
“I’m not going to get in the middle of this argument that they’re having,” Whitmer replied. “I can just say this: We do want to make sure that students are safe on our campuses, and we recognize that every person has the right to make their statement about how they feel about an issue, a right to speak out. And I’m going to use every lever of mine to ensure that both are true.”
Now, let’s be real for a second. Whitmer’s decision to dodge the question isn’t just a small mistake. It’s a glaring example of what’s wrong with today’s Democratic Party leadership. For all the talk we hear about “tolerance” and “inclusion,” where’s the actual action when one of their own leaders—Nessel—gets accused of being unable to do her job because of her faith? This isn’t some hypothetical; it’s real antisemitism staring them in the face, and Whitmer’s response was a giant shrug.
Even the Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, chimed in to call out Whitmer’s lackluster defense of Nessel. He made it clear: when your Attorney General is being targeted with baseless accusations of religious bias, you don’t sit on the sidelines and play neutral. You stand up and call out the bigotry for what it is.
So, of course, Whitmer’s response to the criticism was a little too late.
Gov Whitmer statement just now: https://t.co/CUOg7fIclH pic.twitter.com/EgIkoF93CV
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 23, 2024
And let’s not forget who we’re dealing with here: Rashida Tlaib, who has a long track record of making inflammatory remarks about Israel and the Jewish community. Her accusation that Nessel’s charges were based on her religion isn’t just unfounded, it’s dangerous. It feeds into a narrative that says it’s okay to attack someone’s professional integrity based on their faith if it serves a political agenda. That’s not just antisemitism. It’s a direct assault on the rule of law.
So what does Whitmer’s refusal to take a stand say about her leadership? Frankly, it tells us everything we need to know. When push comes to shove, she’s more concerned about appeasing the Squad and keeping her political alliances intact than standing up for what’s right. In her hesitation, she’s sending a message loud and clear: religious bias is tolerable as long as the person doing it is politically useful. And that’s something every American—Republican or Democrat—should be concerned about.
