True Pundit Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday she is hopeful the state can begin to reengage parts of its economy beginning on May 1, days after facing a barrage of criticism for her strict measures to combat the new coronavirus.
Later on Friday, President Donald Trump, who has traded jabs with Whitmer over the state’s handling of the outbreak, tweeted: “Liberate Michigan,” along with similar tweets naming other states with Democratic governors.
Trump did not mention Ohio, whose Republican governor has set a similar target for economic reopening. The chair of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, has criticized Whitmer, saying she was turning Michigan into a “police state”.
As of Thursday, Michigan had more than 29,000 COVID-19 cases and almost 2,100 deaths, though Whitmer said the number of new cases was showing signs of leveling off.
