Whitmer reenacts viral trend by feeding podcaster Dorito, drawing criticism from Republicans

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) placed a Dorito chip in a podcaster’s mouth in an Instagram post in an attempt to reenact a viral video trend, drawing criticism from some Republicans.

The video shows Whitmer, who’s wearing a Harris-Walz hat, placing a Dorito into the mouth of Liz Plank, a podcaster and author, which follows a trend on social media of people feeding each other food, typically with the song “Dilemma” by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland in the background.

The caption plays off the chip in the video by applauding the CHIPS and Science Act, a bill signed into law by President Biden in 2022 that provides billions in incentives to the domestic semiconductor industry and funds scientific research.

“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 caption reads.

But some GOP lawmakers were seemingly not amused by the video.

Michigan State Sen. Aric Nesbitt (R) called it “weird” in a post on the social platform X.

“If her goal was to make Kamala Harris seem normal by comparison, mission accomplished,” he wrote in another post.

Michigan State Rep. Bill Schuette (R) also responded to the video.

“Ya but JD Vance is ‘weird,'” he wrote in a post on X, referencing some backlash former President Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance (R), has faced.

“The governor’s social media is well known for infusing her communications with pop culture,” a Whitmer political aide told The Hill.

The aide added that countless people have used the trend, “and the fact that people are paying attention to a video promoting President Biden’s CHIPS Act proves it’s working.”
“Republicans want to distract from the fact that Democrats have invested billions of dollars into local economies to create a record number of jobs and bring supply chains back from overseas, while Donald Trump’s policies would kill these jobs and send them back to China,” the aide added.

Updated at 8:41 p.m. EDT