Whitmer says she won’t be ‘bullied’ by administration officials who oppose new Michigan lockdown

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she won’t be “bullied” by the Trump administration for imposing restrictions on residents to combat the surge of coronavirus cases across the U.S.

The Democratic governor and frequent target by President Trump and others for her strict, virus health-safety mandates made the comment in a weekend exchange with Dr. Scott Atlas, a member of President Trump’s coronavirus task force.

“The only way this stops is if people rise up,” Atlas tweeted Sunday evening, in response to Whitmer’s decision to end indoor dining in restaurants and all in-person learning in high schools and colleges. “You get what you accept.”

Whitmer later said on CNN: “We know that the White House likes to single us out here in Michigan, me out in particular. I’m not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals.”

“If everyone does their part, we will see a big benefit from it. But we’ll be assessing it every step of the way,” she continued.

Atlas, a Stanford University neuroradiologist and Hoover Institute fellow, has been outspoken in his opposition to continued lockdowns. 

Coronavirus case numbers in the United States are on the rise, as the count passed 11 million confirmed cases over the weekend, about 1 million of which were added in the past week.