Michigan Attorney General’s ‘White Folks’ Coronavirus Tweet Sparks Blowback

In a series of social media posts on Tuesday, Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel made a racially loaded comment that sparked immediate backlash online, including from a Detroit News editor and columnist.

In response to reports that the coronavirus is disproportionately impacting minorities, Nessel posted a pair of tweets declaring that African Americans are “treated like garbage” in terms of equal opportunity and access to healthcare — and mocking “white folks” for supposedly being “outraged because they can’t go golfing.”

“The high rates of infection and death within our African-American population from [COVID-19] is staggering and horrific. It further establishes how AA’s are treated like garbage when it comes to equal opportunity and access to health care, housing, education and employment,” wrote Nessel. “Every one of us who serves in government must double-down on our commitment to do right by the African-American communities in our state and across our nation. Failing to do so is a complete abdication of our obligation as office holders.”

“I just can’t hear about one more black health care worker, police officer or bus driver die while getting a barrage of complaints from white folks outraged because they can’t go golfing,” the attorney general added in a follow-up post.