Politics

Ronna McDaniel, George Stephanopoulos Clash Over Trump’s ‘Lock Her Up’ Rally Chant About Whitmer

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Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel clashed with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos over chants of “lock her up” at a rally for President Donald Trump in Michigan.

A Saturday Trump rally in Muskegon, Michigan erupted in chants of “lock her up!” after the president criticized Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lockdowns. Whitmer later blamed such rhetoric for putting her “family, and other government officials’ lives in danger” and said it “needs to stop.”

Six people were charged earlier this month for planning to kidnap Whitmer.

“Should the president be talking like that about Governor Whitmer?” Stephanopoulos asked McDaniel, who is from the state, during a Sunday morning interview on “This Week.” “Talking about ‘lock her up,’ ‘lock them all up’ when she is facing threats like this?”

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“First of all, the president and his FBI foiled this plot,” McDaniel said. “I think Governor Whitmer is really inappropriate to try to lay blame at the president. These were sick individuals. There was no political affiliation. They were attacking the capitol as well. We’re glad she is safe and her family is safe. Again let’s not …”

“He is saying lock them all up,” Stephanopoulos pressed.

“Because of her locking down our state,” she responded. “My kids aren’t in school. She has locked us down. Open it up. Let’s not take this rhetoric further. Let’s not continue to extrapolate things that were not being said. What people are saying in Michigan, please let us open up, let our kids go back to school. That’s what they’re talking about. They’re not threatening our governor, and she is taking it way too far once again.”

McDaniel responded to another question about Trump’s rhetoric by pointing out that Democrats “attack us too, and threats go out to us too.” (RELATED: ‘The Only Time He Gets News’: Ronna McDaniel Blasts Ben Sasse For Trump Criticism)

“Governor Whitmer, we, of course, want her to be safe and healthy, but she has locked down our state, and when the people of Michigan are saying open up our state, they’re saying it from an impassioned place.”