Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has elicited eye rolls from some and allegations of religious bigotry from others in response to her social media antics in recent years.
Most recently, the Michigan Catholic Conference cited a Whitmer post on X featuring the governor feeding a Dorito to a left-wing influencer as “an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices.”
How else can this be interpreted other than mockery of Catholics and the sacrament of Holy Communion, not to mention the distasteful pornographic innuendo? Gretchen Whitmer is only the latest example of the gross anti-Catholic bigotry festering inside the Democratic Party. pic.twitter.com/KG1BmHYkJM
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) October 10, 2024
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“The skit goes further than the viral online trend that inspired it, specifically imitating the posture and gestures of Catholics receiving the Holy Eucharist, in which we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present,” MCC President Paul Long said.
The Dorito “communion” post follows others that have leveraged Gen Z slang, social media trends, profanity, LGBT themes and 90s hip-hop to help “Big Gretch” pursue social media fame and promote her new book.
They’re mostly designed to portray Whitmer as a leading figure in pop culture, and they’re mostly designed by Whitmer’s senior photographer Julia Pickett.
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“I want to make sure that no matter what we’re posting ad where we’re posting it, the governor’s authenticity shines through, that we’re staying on message, staying true to our values, but also, I’m looking at how we can do that in fun, engaging ways,” Pickett, a “queer content creator” that lives in Madison Heights with her wife, told Pride Source last year.
It’s Pickett, according to the site, who “is tasked with the monumental task of figuring out which issues to highlight and how to position them in a way that resonates with citizens and Whitmer’s political stances.”
Pickett’s X page says she is “Digital and Creative Director, Photographer/Videographer for @GovWhitmer.”
It seems clear Pickett’s sexuality and relentless focus on riding social media trends has a strong influence, and it’s undoubtedly sending the message the governor is unserious about addressing a mounting list of pressing issues impacting Michiganders.
There was Whitmer’s “pronoun jacket” designed by Pickett last year that spawned from “the governor and I … brainstorming ideas for Pride,” she told Pride Source.
“It took me a couple of days to figure out what I wanted the message to be,” she said, noting Whitmer never saw the jacket until it was showtime. “Once I had the concept down, I played around with the design and fonts on the computer before finally painting on the jacket.”
The response as Whitmer donned the jacket at Motor City Pride was “so amazing,” Pickett said.
In January, Whitmer posted a video of how “Professor Potato and I are teaming to share some news that will revolutionize higher education in Michigan.
“This isn’t just small potatoes, it’s a game-changer!” Whitmer wrote.
Professor Potato and I are teaming up to share some news that will revolutionize higher education in Michigan.
This isn't just small potatoes, it's a game-changer! pic.twitter.com/AhIDBqjMrB
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) January 23, 2024
Professor Potato was followed by posts of Whitmer taking time to brew beer in March, several of the governor’s dogs frolicking in outfits, and many promoting True Gretch, Whitmer’s new book.
“True Gretch in 6 words or less?” Whitmer posted with a video to X in June.
She answered the question in the video: “Wear pink. Get shit done.”
In July, it was #HotInfrastructureSummer.
“#HotInfrastructureSummer is here, and everyone knows that strong, reliable infrastructure is real hot girl sh-,” Whitmer posted, along with a fire emoji.
Late last month, Whitmer released another X video targeting Gen Z voters that featured the 53-year-old dropping a greatest hits of teen slang, including “cooking with gas,” “rizzing them up,” “not chill,” “no cap,” “swifty af,” and “leaving the chat.”
#HotInfrastructureSummer is here, and everyone knows that strong, reliable infrastructure is real hot girl sh- 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WxoFV6Tjk5
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) July 1, 2024
Other posts provide a peak into the dynamic between Whitmer and Picket.
In May, “BigGretchWhitmer” posted a clip to TikTok that featured Picket with a post that read “Hey, will you guys watch my boss for a minute? BRB.”
The video features Picket speaking to the camera as she walks into a room with Whitmer on her phone at what appears to be the Governor’s Mansion on Mackinac Island.
“Will you watch my boss for a second?” Picket asks as she sets the video camera down across from a distracted Whitmer. “I’ll be right back.”
“Julia!” Whitmer shouts as she looks up from her phone. “Who’s watching me?”
While the posts raise legitimate questions about how Whitmer spends her time as she helms a state that’s deteriorating across many metrics, they have been largely successful in raising Whitmer’s profile, particularly on social media.
Whitmer was honored at the 28th Annual Webby Awards in New York City in May for her “Governor Barbie” campaign last year that featured a “Lil’ Gretch” lookalike cruising the state in a vintage pink Corvette to tout the governor’s policies on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Facebook.
“Lil’ Gretch was a way for us to communicate with people the good important work we’re doing in government, but also to make it current and fun,” Whitmer said in her red carpet interview. “So, she’s been great.”
For folks living in Michigan, however, it’s been less great.
Nearly 200,000 more Michiganders are living paycheck to paycheck since Whitmer took office in 2019 on a promise to “fix the damn roads.”
About 41% of Michigan residents now cannot afford a “survival budget” that includes the basics like housing, child care, food, transportation and health care, despite most working full time. In some cities like River Rogue and Benton Harbor, it’s nearly 80%, according to a United for ALICE report.
The roads, meanwhile, “are deteriorating faster than the agencies can repair them,” according to a 2023 Road & Bridges Annual Report that conflicts with Whitmer’s claims to the contrary on social media.
Another study by TRIPP, a national transportation research nonprofit, found “Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features cost Michigan motorists a total of $17 billion statewide annually … due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays.”
Still other research shows inflation adjusted household income has declined by 3% under Whitmer, third-grade reading proficiency has dropped to a record low, the state has the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, unemployment is rising faster than the national average, inflation is rampant in Detroit, health insurance costs are set to skyrocket, abortions are at record highs, and Michiganders are “the most financially distressed people in the country.”
All of the above and more has contributed to the number of Fortune 500 companies in Michigan dwindling from 30 when Whitmer took office to 16 this year. Whitmer is now negotiating with Stellantis, a Big Three automaker who has called Michigan home for over 100 years, to keep its headquarters in the Great Lakes State.
Those problems, however, are nowhere to be found on Whitmer’s social media, where the governor instead keeps the focus on her brand, and more important issues like her trading cards.
“We may not be Triple Crown pitchers, but I think we’ve got a pretty good record,” Whitmer posted last week. “By working with incredible teammates like @POTUS, @VP, and the Michigan Legislature, we’re hitting it out of the park to lower costs and make a real difference for Michigan families.”