The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party has made misogynistic comments about the state’s governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Ron Weiser – who is also a University of Michigan Regent – referred to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel collectively as “three witches.” He made the remark in a speech to the North Oakland Republican Club.
"Our job now is to soften up those three witches and make sure that we have good candidates to run against them that they are ready for the, for the burning of the stake.”
WATCH: @MIGOP Chairman refers to @GovWhitmer, AG @DanaNessel, and @JocelynBenson as "three witches" that need to get "taken out" at a "burning of the stake."
— Rodericka Applewhaite 🛣 (@Rodericka) March 26, 2021
Make no mistake. With last year's kidnapping attempt on Whitmer, Ron Weiser knows exactly what he's feeding into. #mipoli pic.twitter.com/XuHkZwHC4z
A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of State said it was "horrifically reckless and unconscionable" to make such comments targeting public officials.
“It is horrifically reckless and unconscionable that anyone in a position of leadership or authority - knowing full well that violent rhetoric can lead to violent acts - would make such incendiary comments targeting public officials in our state, especially after the FBI thwarted a plot to kidnap the governor last year and insurrectionists attempted to stage a national coup less than three months ago," Tracy Wimmer said. "Yet it is a sad and desperate continuation of what we’ve come to expect from the leader of a party that sent busloads of people to that insurrection, and whose colleagues met with the very militia group that attempted the kidnapping."
Weiser also joked about “assassination” as one of the ways to remove Republican Congressmen Fred Upton and Peter Meijer from office while responding to a question following a speech to the North Oakland Republican Club.
“Well… you said… ma’am, other than assassination, I have no other way of going about it. Ok?”
Editor's note: Weiser is a regent at the University of Michigan, which owns the license for Michigan Radio.
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