Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Apologizes for Controversial Doritos Video

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has apologized for a social media video that sparked widespread criticism and backlash. The video, which was intended to promote the CHIPS Act, showed Whitmer feeding Doritos to a kneeling podcast host, Liz Plank, while wearing a Harris-Walz campaign hat. The CHIPS Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022, allocates nearly $53 billion to support domestic semiconductor production and related initiatives.

The video was part of a viral TikTok trend, but it was misinterpreted by many as a mockery of the Holy Communion, leading to outrage from Catholic organizations. The Michigan Catholic Conference condemned the video, stating it was an example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices.

Following the backlash, Governor Whitmer issued a public apology, emphasizing that the video was not intended to denigrate anyone’s faith. “Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith,” Whitmer said. “I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs.” She also mentioned that her team had spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference to address the concerns.

The controversy has also drawn criticism from political opponents, with some arguing that the stunt was ill-conceived and did not effectively promote the CHIPS Act or support the campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.