Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon delivered an opener speech at a Trump rally in Freeland, Michigan, on Wednesday — and took a deeply personal swipe at Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, to whom she lost by a wide margin in 2022.
In particular, Dixon appeared to subtly accuse Whitmer of having an affair with Lee Chatfield, the former GOP Michigan Speaker of the House, who is currently under indictment for embezzlement and was previously under investigation for sexual abuse allegations earlier this year.
"I don't know if you saw the latest video where [Whitmer] talks about nicknames," said Dixon. "She has a bunch of different nicknames. She left one out, did you notice that? You know the nickname I'm talking about? Stretchen Gretchen. Just between us girls, when you’re campaigning, you hear a lot of stuff you normally wouldn't hear, and one of our legislators told me that Lee Chatfield was pretty familiar with that name. I guess I can't accuse her of not being bipartisan anymore, huh?"
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Dixon's remarks provoked immediate condemnation.
"If you’re wondering why women are fleeing Trump’s GOP, their 2022 Gov nominee reduced herself to the most vile, basest locker room talk to denigrate the sitting woman Governor - all to impress a convicted serial sexual predator who owes E. Jean Carroll nearly $100M," wrote state Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow. "How embarrassing."
"Is she accusing Whitmer of having an affair w the Repub former Michigan Speaker, who’s been accused of sexual abuse & charged w a bunch of embezzlement/conspiracy crimes?" wrote political consultant Dana Houle. "I get it that she wants to malign the woman who beat her by half a million votes, but WTF on Chatfield?"
"I pity [Tudor] Dixon. Must be awfully hard to find ways to impress Trump when shooting a puppy in the face was already taken," wrote state Attorney General Dana Nessel, referring to the scandal involving Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD). "So grateful to have the wisdom, maturity and basic decency of @GovWhitmer."
