Militia Mike Shirkey Smiles Next to Militia Member Arrested in Kidnapping Plot in Another Display of Extremism from the Michigan GOP

In a new report from Newsweek, GOP Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey is exposed in a picture smiling alongside one of the members of a dangerous, far-right militia who was arrested in the domestic terrorism plot to kidnap and execute Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Posing next to alleged domestic terrorists is just the latest in extreme stances taken by the Michigan GOP and the Republican gubernatorial primary field. In fact, the event where Shirkey was photographed with the known extremist was a far-right rally hosted by insurrectionist and Republican candidate for governor Ryan Kelley. Other candidates in the GOP primary include Garrett Soldano, an anti-masker who pushed a fake cure for COVID-19. 

Just days ago, highly-rumored gubernatorial candidate James Craig backed away from answering a question on whether or not there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Craig refused to condemn the GOP’s dangerous conspiracy theories about election fraud that fueled the January 6th insurrection and left 5 people dead, instead saying, “I’m not going to talk about politics today.” 

“Militia Mike Shirkey represents exactly how far-right and extreme the Michigan Republican Party has become,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Sam Newton. “They refuse to work with Gov. Whitmer to pass critical COVID and economic relief and instead promote false conspiracies that led to the insurrection while smiling with far-right militia members. Anyone who runs for governor in the GOP primary will need to clearly denounce this extremism and lies about the last election.”

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