Michigan gov slams 'incompetent' Bill Barr for failing to act on known threats to her safety

On Thursday's edition of CNN's "OutFront," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) tore into Attorney General William Barr for denying he knew anything about the threats against her life, even as the FBI was unraveling a plot by right-wing militias to kidnap her and violently overthrow state officials.

"So he blew [the threats] off. I remember we talked after that," said anchor Erin Burnett. "You told me you didn't believe him then. Now we have a plot that was at a point with seven FBI field offices, multiple law enforcement agencies involved. They scoped your vacation home twice. They planned Molotov cocktails, they were going to attack, storm, and kidnap you. Do you believe the attorney general knew anything about that?"

"If he didn't, he's incompetent," said Whitmer. "The fact of the matter is, I have raised this very issue with this White House and asked them to bring the heat down. I have asked leaders, Republican leaders in the state, let's bring the heat down. I was aware of a lot of the threats that were being made against me and my family, and I asked for their help and they didn't do a darn thing about it, and then denied even knowing that it was a problem. And here we are, we came very close to a plot that was to kidnap me and to murder. That is what the affidavits say. Also, to hurt law enforcement, to bomb our capitol. Meaning all the press and the Democrats and Republicans in our capitol. This cannot stand. And we have to call it out for what it is. It is domestic terrorism."

"You know, our burden is a lot less than many, and we keep that in perspective throughout COVID and through these challenging times," added Whitmer. "But I do have kids and a husband who have seen people with automatic rifles on our front lawn more weekends than I care to mention. But we need leaders who can bring us together and need leaders who recognize the enemy as the virus, not fellow Americans. These are hard times, but we'll get through them."

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