Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon joked about the kidnapping plot against her opponent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Two men are facing life in prison after they were convicted in August for kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the plot to kidnap Whitmer.
Dixon joked about this in two separate campaign events on Friday.
“The sad thing is Gretchen will tie your hands, put a gun to your head, and ask if you are ready to talk. For someone so worried about getting kidnapped, Gretchen Whitmer sure is good at taking business hostage and holding it for ransom,” Dixon said at a campaign event in Troy, Mich.
She joked about the failed plot to kidnap the governor again at a rally in Muskegon, a city in western Michigan, while criticizing her appearing alongside President Joe Biden at the Detroit car show.
“The look on her face was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is happening. I’d rather be kidnapped by the FBI,’” Dixon said.
She also said her previous comments were not a joke, adding, “If you were afraid of that, you should know what it is to have your life ripped away from you.”
Whitmer’s campaign condemned Dixon’s remarks in a statement to CNN on Friday.
“Threats of violence and dangerous rhetoric undermine our democracy and discourage good people on both sides of the aisle at every level from entering public service,” Whitmer campaign spokesperson Maeve Coyle said.
“Governor Whitmer has faced serious threats to her safety and her life, and she is grateful to the law enforcement and prosecutors for their tireless work,” Coyle said. “Threats of violence — whether to Governor Whitmer or to candidates and elected officials on the other side of the aisle — are no laughing matter, and the fact that Tudor Dixon thinks it’s a joke shows that she is absolutely unfit to serve in public office.”
The spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association, Sam Newton said Dixon’s comments “are dangerous, an insult to law enforcement who keep us safe, and utterly disqualifying for the role of Michigan governor.”
Dixon won the GOP primary last month after several candidates were removed from the ballot due to forged petition signatures. A recent poll shows Whitmer leading Dixon by 16 points.
