Great Lakes Wire

A video of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer feeding a Dorito to a left-wing influencer has gone viral, sparking outrage among some Catholic groups, who accuse the governor of mocking the sacrament of Holy Communion. The incident, shared by Catholic Vote, highlights growing concerns over perceived anti-Catholic sentiment within the Democratic Party, with critics calling the video both blasphemous and distasteful.

“How else can this be interpreted other than mockery of Catholics and the sacrament of Holy Communion, not to mention the distasteful pornographic innuendo?” Catholic Vote wrote in an Oct. 10 social media post on X. “Gretchen Whitmer is only the latest example of the gross anti-Catholic bigotry festering inside the Democratic Party.”

In the video clip, Whitmer feeds a Dorito to left-wing influencer Liz Plank, who is kneeling on the ground. Whitmer, sporting a hat supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, offers the chip while staring into the camera. Some Conservative critics have interpreted the scene as mocking Catholic communion.

The backlash comes at a time when Vice President Kamala Harris is also facing criticism for declining an invitation to the Catholic Al Smith Dinner, breaking a 40-year tradition for presidential candidates. Steve Cortes, president of the League of American Workers, pointed to Harris’s history of clashes with Catholic organizations as further evidence of anti-Catholic bias within the Democratic Party.

“Kamala Harris refuses invitation to the Catholic Al Smith dinner, the first candidate to do so in 4 decades. Even Hillary had the decency to attend!” Cortes wrote in a Sept. 24 social media post on X. “Kamala has a long history of anti-Catholicism, including targeting the Knights of Columbus.”

The controversy has amplified concerns within the Catholic community, particularly in Michigan, where Catholics represent 20-25% of the population, or about 1.4 to 1.88 million eligible voters.