Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Tuesday in an Associated Press interview that messaging from Trump amid the coronavirus crisis has been inconsistent and not what the country needs from its leadership right now.
Whitmer’s comments came after Trump announced an immigration policy that would bar the issuance of green cards for 60 days.
The president’s planned executive order would bar those seeking permanent residency in the U.S. from obtaining green cards, but will allow for those seeking temporary employment. But Whitmer called the policy “scary,” and said it creates problems for immigrants, family members hoping to immigrate to the U.S., farmers who rely on seasonal migrant workers and Canadian nurses who work in Michigan, according to the AP.
Instead of focusing on immigration, Whitmer said the federal government should focus on solutions to problems such as making swabs for testing.
“This is what we need right now — not additional new things to be upset about, fearful of or mad about,” Whitmer said.
Trump says the order is to ensure that Americans have the first chance at jobs in the United States as millions have become unemployed.
Whitmer also expressed dismay with Trump’s press briefings every night, saying that they add to the confusion and uncertainty Americans are facing.
“I think that the nightly briefing has yielded a lot of inconsistent messages to the public — messages that put people in greater danger,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer told the AP that she isn’t attempting to raise her profile in a bid to be Joe Biden’s running mate, despite her public discontent with Trump. She says she has not been approached by Biden’s team to be vetted, but that she would cooperate if asked.
