Ahead of tomorrow’s MIGOP endorsement convention, MDP will be reminding Michiganders how the candidates vying for the top of the ticket have pushed dangerous agendas that would hurt working families.
Rather than offer plans to build on Governor Whitmer’s strong legacy of working with anyone to deliver the wins that keep Michigan first, snake oil salesman Garrett Soldano has pushed a dangerous, wrong-for-Michigan agenda. After rising to prominence through his willingness to manufacture and echo baseless lies and conspiracy theories, Soldano has shown Michiganders that his extreme plans will undermine our economy, reproductive freedom for millions of women, critical services that Michiganders rely on, and public trust in the democratic process.
MDP Spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“Snake oil salesman Garrett Soldano had already disqualified himself from office based on his ongoing willingness to serve as a rabid conspiracy theory megaphone. Over the course of his extreme campaign, he’s only added to the reasons why his being in the governor’s office would be harmful for Michigan. Working families deserve better than leadership that would let the economy grind to a halt, strip the right to choose from 2.2 million women, and slash the budgets of critical services – all to serve his backwards agenda.”
Supporting information can be found below:
Soldano Encouraged Illegal Blockade that Cost Auto Industry $300M
As “major international gateway” Ambassador Bridge was shut down due to an illegal blockade that impacted $356 million of goods daily, Soldano supported this major economic chokehold on Michigan and encouraged it to continue with a video applauding the blockade and referring to the protestors as “true freedom fighters” with contagious courage.
The auto industry suffered “$299.9 million in direct losses,” and assembly plants at GM and Ford were forced to cancel shifts due to a lack of parts traveling across the bridge, which resulted in workers weathering up to $51 million in lost wages.
Soldano Wants to Force Pregnancy on Victims of Rape and Incest
Gubernatorial candidate Garrett Soldano stated that women who are raped should not be able to have abortions because “God put them in this moment” and it would make them “heroic.”
After the comments inspired an avalanche of negative headlines, Soldano took to Twitter multiple times to reinforce his dangerous attack on women, eventually equating the horrific criminal act of rape to a “sacred” source of life by saying “the value of life is not based upon the occasion of its conception, but the sacredness of its essence.”
Additionally, Soldano has already pledged to force a draconian agenda on Michigan women and families. He’s referred to himself as “unapologetically pro-life” and suggested that fake crisis pregnancy centers that use manipulative tactics to push an anti-choice agenda should receive taxpayer funding.
Soldano Will Slash Budgets for Critical Services Like Public Education and Law Enforcement
Garrett Soldano called for across-the-board blunt cuts to the budget that take no consideration for the needs and priorities of working families.
Cuts like the “unsustainable” and “short-sighted” tax plan that would have forced billions in cuts statewide and “disproportionately helps the state’s wealthiest residents.” The disastrous bill would have forced more than $1.8 billion in annual cuts to Michigan’s budget and gutted $624 million from the public school aid fund.
The GOP tax plan also threatened funding for over 5,000 state and local law enforcement officers and civilian employees. The potential impacts on Michigan State Police are even worse, as the cuts would have threatened general fund dollars that provide over 60% of MSP’s budget.
Soldano is a Rabid Election Conspiracy Theorist Using Baseless Lies About 2020 to Demand a “Forensic” Audit
Like his nine other opponents, Garrett Soldano has both stoked distrust around our democratic processes and committed to support legislation that will make it harder for all Michiganders to vote.
Though Michigan’s election results were certified years ago and have subsequently been backed up by more than 250 audits across the state since, he has repeatedly demanded Michigan undergo an Arizona-style “audit” in Michigan, despite the multi-million dollar sham exercise reinforcing the fact that there is no evidence of fraud.
Last September, he held a large rally in Antrim County to further the baseless belief that the 2020 election was stolen and advance the belief that “a full forensic audit of 2020 remains essential.”
Soldano has also refused to acknowledge the fact that the Republican-led Senate Oversight Committee released a 55-page report definitively stating that there was “no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud.” Instead, he called Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey a ‘RINO’ for standing by the report’s findings and baselessly accused the Republican leader of “actively tried to sweep the 2020 election results under the rug and prevent a forensic audit.”
