Hour Detroit Magazine
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
One measure of just how long, painful, and exhilarating but also terrifying the past year has been for one Gretchen Esther Whitmer is what finally, after more than an hour of interviews over the course of a week, prompts a real laugh. With the more than 12,000 COVID-19-related deaths in Michigan, a horrific alleged plot by right-wing kooks to kidnap her, constant legal and political attacks on her authority, and a wrecked state budget and economy, the 49th governor of Michigan has found precious little to make light of lately.
But then our topic turns to the massive, mostly maskless rallies Donald Trump held across the state in the waning days of his losing presidential reelection bid, events that violated the state’s restrictions on large public gatherings as well as the advice of medical experts. Why were they allowed to take place?