Michigan Gov. Whitmer: Every time Trump talks about me ‘I get more death threats’

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Wednesday said President Trump’s remarks about her are leading to more death threats, a day after the president lashed out at her during a campaign rally in Lansing, Mich.

“Every time he sets his sights on me, I get more death threats,” Whitmer said in an interview with CBS News. “The violent rhetoric has an uptick. And there’s no question that it’s had an impact.”

The president referenced Whitmer while speaking to a crowd of supporters in Lansing on Tuesday, prompting the rallygoers to chant “lock her up.” He said Whitmer should be grateful for the federal agents that foiled an alleged plot to kidnap her.

Whitmer told CBS she didn’t think Trump’s remarks were amusing.

“Anyone who thinks it’s funny has a real twisted sense of what humor is,” she said.

Whitmer also said the alleged plot to kidnap her “tells you everything you need to know about the character of this president.”

During Tuesday’s rally, Trump questioned how significant the plot against Whitmer was.

“I’m the one, it was our people that helped her out with her problem. I mean, we’ll have to see if it’s a problem, right? People are entitled to say maybe it was a problem, maybe it wasn’t,” Trump said.

“It was our people — my people, our people — that helped her out,” he continued. “And then she blamed me for it. She blamed me. And it was our people that helped her. I don’t get it.”

Whitmer has previously accused Trump of being “complicit” in aggravating the extremism that led to the alleged kidnapping plot.

Trump has sparred with Whitmer and other governors throughout the coronavirus pandemic over restrictions that limited the size of gatherings and forced some businesses to close temporarily.