Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Wednesday on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that he will run for governor of Michigan as he reminded viewers that “Detroit did not burn” unlike a lot of other American cities in 2020.
“The best part, the last eight years here in Detroit, we know what happened last year. You know, when other cities were burning, we know that Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago — but Detroit did not burn,” Craig said, adding that he has “protected and served for 44 years” as a police chief. (RELATED: Detroit Police Chief Says His City ‘Wouldn’t Stand For’ A Seattle-Style Autonomous Zone)
Craig said he is running to oppose the lockdown policies of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who he said “follows different rules: she just does.” He said he wants to represent “the small businesses who are suffering through the pandemic” that are being offered handouts while they “can’t even hire employees.”
Whitmer defended her lockdown policies for saving lives and said she was “never going to apologize” for them.
The former police chief suggested that what people need right now is “a hand up and I’m all for a hand up. They don’t want a government handout.” He promised to hold Whitmer accountable and to show her “what leadership looks like” as he pledged to lead a movement to “take the state back.”(RELATED: ‘We Sent A Message’: Police Departments ‘Weren’t Going To Tolerate Looting And Burning Buildings,’ Says Detroit Chief)
Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson warned Craig that he would face severe criticism and accusations from Democrats, to which Craig responded, “Oh, they’re throwing it at me now, Tucker. They know I’m on your show tonight.”
“Wait till they call you a white supremacist,” Carlson joked.
“Bring it. I’m ready for it: 44 years, I’m ready,” Craig replied.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the states Electoral College at the state Capitol, Dec. 14, 2020 in Lansing, Michigan. – Joe Biden’s US election victory was set for formal confirmation by the Electoral College, further closing the door on angry efforts by President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 vote. (Photo by Carlos Osorio/AFP via Getty Images).
The chief has also locked horns with Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib in the past. Craig objected when the Detroit district congresswoman told him that only black people should be allowed to operate his police department’s new facial recognition technology.
Detroit is suing Black Lives Matter (BLM) members because the city says the group “endangered the lives” of police officers and the public.