Move over, Trump–Russia collusion. A scandal like the country has never seen has emerged…on a small island off the coast of Michigan.
Vice President Mike Pence is facing attacks from the left for taking a motorcade to Mackinac Island, where cars are banned. It is apparently the first time the office of a sitting president has violated the island’s automobile ban, though “residents can be granted a temporary vehicle permit in certain circumstances,” according to The Hill.
Mike Pence comes under fire
Pence visited the island over the weekend for the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference. But the vice president’s method of transportation drew criticism from some Michiganders and liberals on Twitter.
Most people on the island of some 500 either walk or bike, according to The Washington Examiner. Car travel has been banned there since the late 19th century, with narrow exceptions such as for emergency vehicles.
For his part, Pence is only the second sitting VP in history to visit the island; Gerald Ford used a horse-drawn carriage for transportation when he visited in 1975.
Pence’s motorcade drew criticism from many on the left, including Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who said she was in “disbelief.” Former state Sen. Julia Pulver (D) called it a remarkable “transgression.”
For those not from MI, you should understand what a huge transgression this is.
Our #MackinacIsland has been a car free haven forever, a piece of history frozen in time. Tell anyone from MI @VP just drove not 1 but 8 CARS on this island & watch their blood boil. #PureMichigan https://t.co/cjfXcygdzO
— Julia Pulver, RN (@VotePulver) September 22, 2019
Other Michiganders expressed similar sentiments that Pence had disrespected the historic island, known for its charming 18th- and 19th-century architecture. One journalist compared it to “putting your dirty shoes on someone’s lovely dining room table during dinner.”
Blowing it out of proportion
Certainly, Pence’s choice of transportation is regrettable, but some have defended the vice president by noting the increase of national security threats since Ford was in office. It is now typical for the president and vice president to travel with an armored motorcade — and in the hypercharged partisan atmosphere of the time, especially, the White House can’t afford to take risks.
“It’s the nature of the security these days,” state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, whose district includes Mackinac Island, told the Detroit Free Press.
Though he’s been a quiet presence in the Trump administration, Pence has attracted more criticism as hopes of impeaching his boss appear to fade. The vice president was recently attacked for staying at a Trump hotel in Ireland while on government business.
For liberals, Pence’s motorcade is just the latest flagrant offense against “norms” under the Trump presidency. It must be a slow news day for the #Resistance.
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