Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday praised first responders in the coronavirus pandemic as she tried to paint a contrast between doctors, nurses and frontline workers and President Trump’s slapdash approach.
She said rising to the challenge - and not “denying it” - is essential.
“We’ve learned who is essential, too,” Ms. Whitmer said on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. “Not just the wealthiest among us. Not a president who fights his fellow Americans rather than fight the virus that’s killing us and our economy. It’s the people who put their own health at risk to care for the rest of us. They are the MVPs.”
Ms. Whitmer’s remarks segued into a memorial montage for the more than 160,000 people who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S.
She said officials took the pandemic seriously in Michigan.
“Just imagine if we had a national strategy,” she said.
She said if presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala D. Harris get elected, it will be “science” and not “politics or ego” that will drive their decisions.
Ms. Whitmer, who had been on the shortlist of candidates to be Mr. Biden’s running mate, delivered her remarks from a local auto workers union hall in Lansing.
She praised the auto bailout during the Obama administration, which was a vital lifeline for midwestern states like Michigan and Ohio, and noted that some companies like General Motors and Ford ended up pivoting this year to produce equipment like face masks and ventilators during the pandemic.
“President Obama and Vice President Biden saved these autoworkers’ livelihoods. Then these workers did their part to save American lives,” she said. “That’s the story of this great nation. Action begets action. Progress begets progress. And when we work together, we can accomplish anything.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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