ICYMI: Militia Advisor Mike Shirkey Keeps Changing His Story
The Michigan Advance reported yesterday that Michigan Senate Majority Leader and self-proclaimed consultant to militias Mike Shirkey has changed his story yet again surrounding a troubling meeting he held with militia groups.
Shirkey bragged about advising militia groups in his office last summer, when armed groups occupied the state capitol in an event now being called a “dress rehearsal” for the deadly insurrection in DC. Shirkey said following the meeting that militia groups had gotten a “bad rap” and that he advised them on “how they could improve their message.” As a consultant, he didn’t do a very good job because members of local militia groups were later arrested for attempting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
In a desperate attempt to save his reputation, Shirkey has been lying about what happened in the meeting and how it came to be. This week, Shirkey tried to walk back his comments for the third time during a radio interview, claiming the state police arranged the militia meeting, which the police deny.
Shirkey also called the verifiably true claims that he palled around with militia groups “character assassination.” In addition to holding an advisory meeting with the militia members, Shirkey also appeared at a rally with a militia member later charged with attempting to kidnap the governor. And when militia groups attacked the U.S. Capitol Building, Shirkey came to their defense, saying, “I don’t know if you’ve ever been around mobs before but it’s easy to get caught up.”
As if working with militia groups wasn’t bad enough, Shirkey also made racist and sexist comments regarding the pandemic and Gov. Whitmer’s appearance. Shirkey said COVID-19 was sent in by the “the Chinese flu army,” and said of Gov. Whitmer’s State of the State address, “She looked delightful.”
Shirkey’s unhinged comments sparked backlash from Michiganders and lawmakers. The Michigan Chair of Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission said Shirkey’s racist comments “are harmful, irresponsible, and racist to thousands of Americans & Michiganders.”
This isn’t character assassination, it’s just the truth – Militia Mike has really bad judgement.
Read more about the truth regarding Mike Shirkey’s ties to militia groups below.
Michigan Advance: Take 3: Shirkey’s militia confab story evolves again
State Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) is telling another version of the story of his meeting with state militia leaders last year. The latest evolution occurred during a Monday interview with Radio Free Hillsdale, the radio station of Hillsdale College.
Shirkey made the new comments responding to the host asking about attacks leveled by the Democratic Governors Association over his militia meeting this “last summer.” It was sent on Jan. 21, four days before Shirkey’s radio interview.
“Mike Shirkey’s alarming behavior has made it clear he is unfit to be a leader and serve in public office,” said DGA spokesperson Christina Amestoy. “Lawmakers should not be consulting and advising militia groups like the ones who have sought to kidnap the governor and overthrow the government. Nor should they be pushing lies about our elections or refusing to be transparent about their coronavirus diagnosis. Not only are Shirkey’s actions completely abhorrent, they also put our democracy, and the health of others, at risk.”
Here’s how he responded to the DGA emails in the interview:
“The one [DGA] seem to promote and that they seem to enjoy and thump their chest about it — last summer — last summer — when we had militias exercising their Second Amendment rights and protesting at various locations, including the [Michigan] Capitol. I met with a few of the leaders of the militia in my office. There was Senate police and state police present, as well, to talk to them about doing that safely. And talked to them about, asked them, ‘Do you have a code of conduct?’ Asked them if they want people to hear what they have to say or just see their guns? And those kinds of questions. Of course that was painted as I was assisting them and maybe even being complicit in their planning.”
Of course, Shirkey is the one who previously said in an interview with JTV that he and militia leaders “talked about their messaging, their purpose, what they are trying to accomplish and how they could improve their message.” He also said militias had gotten “a bad rap.”
In that same interview, he claimed the Michigan State Police helped him arrange the meeting. Something MSP has denied.
On Jan. 19, almost two weeks after the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, he changed the story in another interview with JTV.
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Meanwhile, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is still wondering if Shirkey met with militia leaders tied to the 14 accused members who plotted to kidnap her, blow up a bridge, put her on trial for treason and execute her. She told the Advance this week that she and Shirkey have not spoken about the matter.
Shirkey would rather accuse the DGA of “typical character assassination and cancel culture,” then address questions about his militia leader meeting and the ever evolving explanation for it.
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