Former President Donald Trump recently took a dig at Vice President Kamala and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the highly anticipated Al Smith Dinner in New York City. Throughout the event, the Republican Presidential candidate made a number of hilarious jokes one of which called out Kamala Harris for not attending the event while simultaneously joking about Whitemer’s apparent mockery of Holy Communion.
Trump said in his roast, “But I don’t think Kamala has given up yet. She hasn’t. Instead of attending tonight, she’s in Michigan receiving communion from Gretchen Whitmer. That’s not a pretty sight, but Catholics, please don’t be too dissoluted by Kamala’s absence.”
The former president was referencing a recent incident that sparked controversy in the Christian community where Governor Whitmer was seen suggestively feeding a Dorito to a feminist influencer who kneeled before her in a similar way that Catholics receive communion. The Christian Tribune reported on backlash against Whitmer, where Catholic leaders in Michigan called out the seeming mockery of the Eucharist.
The Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) said in a statement about the clip, “A video posted yesterday to social media platform Instagram featuring Governor Gretchen Whitmer has prompted the state’s Catholic bishops conference to express profound disappointment and offense taken at the actions in the video. In the skit, Whitmer lays a Dorito chip on the extended tongue of a woman, who as the camera pans out is shown to be kneeling in the same manner as one would when receiving Communion on the tongue. The governor then stares expressionless into the camera.”
President and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference Paul A. Long said, “The skit goes further than the viral online trend that inspired it, specifically imitating the posture and gestures of Catholics receiving the Holy Eucharist, in which we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present.” He added, “It is not just distasteful or ‘strange;’ it is an all-too-familiar example of an elected official mocking religious persons and their practices. While dialogue on this issue with the governor’s office is appreciated, whether or not insulting Catholics and the Eucharist was the intent, it has had an offensive impact.”
The MCC president continued, “People of this state and across the country have grown tired of and continue to express their alarm at the bar of civility and respect toward people of faith lowering by the day. Michigan is a religiously diverse state and includes thriving communities of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim believers. The time is now for those in public office, their handlers, and strategists to return a level of respect, civility, and appreciation for those who have found peace and fulfillment in life by worshiping God and serving their neighbor.”
However, Whitmer has since denied that the video was intended to mock Christians. “Over 25 years in public service, I would never do something to denigrate someone’s faith. I’ve used my platform to stand up for people’s right to hold and practice their personal religious beliefs,” she said. “My team has spoken to the Michigan Catholic Conference. What was supposed to be a video about the importance of the CHIPS Act to Michigan jobs, has been construed as something it was never intended to be, and I apologize for that,” she said.
Watch Trump’s joke below:
And here was the video again of Whitmer that prompted Christian leaders to react vociferously to what many reasonable people deemed a mockery of the Holy Communion:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.