Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has cultivated a large following online with playful videos that riff on popular culture moments and infuse a political message. But Whitmer's recent attempt to seize on a social media trend was met initially with eyerolls from Republicans and then fierce blowback from the Catholic Church in Michigan.
The video appears to play off of a social media phenomenon featuring people feeding each other made popular when late-night television host Stephen Colbert was fed pizza by actor Jeremy Allen White from the television show "The Bear." A video posted to Instagram last week shows Whitmer feeding a nacho cheese Dorito to podcaster Liz Plank who appears to be seated or kneeling on the ground — the angle of the video makes it unclear. Plank has her tongue out, and Whitmer places the Dorito on Plank's tongue who begins chewing it. As Plank chews with a look of satisfaction, the camera shows Whitmer holding the bag of chips wearing a camo hat with "HARRIS WALZ" written on it and a serious expression on her face. Whitmer is a national co-chair for Vice President Kamala Harris' and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's presidential campaign.
The caption for the video — which was later edited — reads, "If he won't, Gretchen Whitmer will. Chips aren't just delicious, the CHIPS Act is a game-changer for U.S. tech and manufacturing, boosting domestic production of semiconductors to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers! Donald Trump would put that at risk." The CHIPS Act is among the legislation Harris has championed on the campaign trail to make the case that a manufacturing renaissance is underway and would continue under a Harris presidency.
Republican lawmakers in Michigan immediately called the video "weird" in social media posts . And then the Michigan Catholic Conference took offense to Whitmer's apparent attempt to participate in a social media trend, saying that in Whitmer's reenactment, Plank appears to be mimicking the Catholic sacrament of Communion.
"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," said Paul Long, Michigan Catholic Conference President and CEO in a statement Oct. 11. "It is not just distasteful or 'strange;' it is an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices. While dialogue on this issue with the governor's office is appreciated, whether or not insulting Catholics and the Eucharist was the intent, it has had an offensive impact."
Some Catholics who may not have come across Whitmer's viral social media post heard about it in the pews on Sunday. But some were already fired up to protest the video. A group of several dozen demonstrators mobilized by a group called CatholicVote showed up outside the governor's mansion in Lansing and recited the rosary, according to reporting from the Lansing State Journal . CatholicVote in social media posts boosts former President Donald Trump's campaign while describing the Harris-Walz ticket as anti-Catholic.
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The event was promoted by state Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, who is no stranger to social media controversies of his own, including amplifying in a post earlier this year a racist conspiracy theory. One priest who attended the demonstration outside the governor's mansion wore a "Make America Great Again" hat, according to the Lansing State Journal .
Whitmer issued an apology statement Sunday for her video. "Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone's faith," Whitmer said in the statement. "My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference. What was supposed to be a video about the importance of the CHIPS Act to Michigan jobs has been construed as something it was never intended to be and I apologize for that."
A spokesperson for Whitmer's PAC supporting Harris' White House bid did not respond to a request for comment on the messaging strategy behind the video.
Catholics in the U.S. are politically polarized, and in Michigan, they live in a critical swing state that could help decide the outcome of the presidential race. Fifty-two percent of Catholics registered to vote in the U.S. label themselves Republicans or lean toward the party, according to a 2023 online survey from the Pew Research Center . And 44% of Catholic voters identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party.
Whitmer is not on the ballot this year but is on the campaign trail stumping for Harris in the final stretch of the presidential election.
Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer feeding Dorito to podcaster for TikTok trend angers Catholics
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