President Donald Trump has invited a Democrat in Congress to switch to the GOP after her party announced that she faces consequences for publicly thanking him for promoting the use of an anti-malaria drug that she credits with helping her recover from the coronavirus.
Rep. Karen Whitsett of Michigan thanked the president and Vice President Mike Pence during a recent White House meeting, telling them that taking the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, a treatjment Trump supports, played a role in her recovery from COVID-19 infection.
Now, she is facing a possible censure for her actions,
The Detroit News reports.
Detroit Democrats plan to vote Saturday on whether to censure and bar any future endorsements of Whitsett, according to the newspaper. If reprimanded, she would not receive the group’s endorsement this year or be able to participate in the group for the next two election cycles.
Trump called the Democrats "disgraceful" on Twitter and welcomed Whitsett to switch parties and join the GOP.
“Thank you for everything that you have done,” Whitsett told the president on April 14. “I did not know that saying thank you had a political line. … I’m telling my story and my truth, and this how I feel and these are my words.”
Before meeting the president in person, she thanked him on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” earlier this month.
“I really want to say that you have to give this an opportunity," she said about the drug on the show. "For me, it saved my life. I only can go by what it is that I have gone through and what my story is, and I can't speak for anyone else. So that's not what I'm trying to do here. I'm only speaking for myself.”
Chairwoman of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel tweeted the news story about the repercussions Whitsett possibly faces and Trump replied:
“Should join the Republican Party!” he tweeted.
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