Holland Reporter

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent attendance at the inauguration of President Joe Biden has some critics crying foul, as the inauguration may have been restricted to a much smaller crowd if Washington D.C. were under the same restrictions on outdoor gatherings as Michigan is.

In an order handed down by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 13, outdoor gatherings across the state are still being restricted to no more than 25 people, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential. That left the group Michigan Rising Action questioning Whitmer’s tweeted photo from the inauguration in which she stood surrounded by significantly more than 25 people.

There is an exception in the Michigan order, however, for voting and official election-related activities.

But even light of the exception, the criticism includes the added element of Whitmer’s own critique of former President Donald Trump for the large campaign rallies that Trump held in Michigan last fall heading into the election. “This is a recipe for disaster, and we have seen COVID outbreaks as a result of these rallies," Whitmer said in October, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential. "I’m encouraging Michigan citizens: Don’t attend events like this.”