President Donald Trump urged Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “to put out the fire” as protests continued against her stay-at-home orders.
Trump’s comments came in a Friday morning tweet. He wrote: “The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”
The Republican-led Michigan Legislature refused Thursday to extend the state's coronavirus emergency declaration and voted to authorize a lawsuit challenging Whitmer's authority and actions to combat the pandemic. Whitmer is a Democrat.
In turn, she responded with orders stating under one law that an emergency still exists, while declaring a new 28-day state of emergency under another law.
Meanwhile, protesters entered the Michigan Capitol and demanded to be let onto the House floor. And some demonstrators in the Senate gallery were seen openly carrying guns, which is legal in the statehouse.
Some of the protesters carried placards reading: “Shut down the lockdown," “No work no freedom," and “Tyrants get the rope.”