President Donald Trump's allies are begging him to stop feuding with the Democratic governor of Michigan -- a state he needs to win re-election.
Trump won the state by just 11,000 votes in 2016, but he's risking his chances in November by picking a fight with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over his response to the coronavirus pandemic, and his allies know it, reported the Associated Press.
“Everyone should be shedding the partisanship and coming together,” said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who lives in Michigan. “I think she’s done good things. ... I just didn't like her trying to lay every problem at the president’s feet.”
The governor has criticized the federal response to the outbreak, and Trump has attacked Whitmer -- who has become a leading vice presidential prospect for whoever wins the Democratic nomination.
Trump slurred the governor as “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer" and insulted her leadership, and even said he had directed Vice President Mike Pence to freeze her out as the virus raged in Michigan, but he has since deleted the offending tweets and said he'd spoken with her by phone.
Whitmer has also backed down from the feud, saying her priority was protecting Michigan families from the outbreak.
“I don’t care about partisan fights or getting nicknames from the president," she said.
Michigan Republicans said they had advised Trump his attacks weren't helpful.
“I did relay to the administration that I didn’t think it was helpful and why play that game,” said Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI). “These are times when the American people look for leaders. Leaders don’t whine. Leaders don’t blame."
"This is not the time where we need more drama in this country," Mitchell added.
