Whitmer Apologizes After Photo Shows Her Not Social Distancing

LANSING, MI — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday issued an apology after a photo went viral of her not social distancing while with several people at a Lansing bar — a violation of a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order currently in place.

The MDHHS order submits that more than six people cannot gather inside restaurants or bars and groups of people are required to be as least six feet apart. But a photo that circulated on social media before being published by right-wing Breitbart showed the governor and 12 other people sitting at a table close together and without masks.

“Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been committed to following public health protocols," Whitmer said in a statement on Sunday. "Yesterday, I went with friends to a local restaurant. As more people arrived, the tables were pushed together.

"Because we were all vaccinated, we didn't stop to think about it. In retrospect, I should have thought about it. I am human. I made a mistake, and I apologize."

Sunday's Breitbart story is the latest gaffe by Whitmer amid the coronavirus pandemic. She is currently under the microscope for a trip she took in March to visit her chronically ill father in Florida.

Related: Whitmer Criticized For Traveling Out Of State During Pandemic

In that situation, while recommending that people don't travel out of state during the pandemic, Whitmer took a privately chartered flight to Florida. She has been heavily scrutinized for how that trip was funded.

Whitmer has been a polarizing figure across the state she governs due to her COVID-19 restrictions, many of which are set to be removed over the course of the next two months. Meanwhile, Whitmer later this week is scheduled to receive a prestigious award for her actions during the pandemic, which many have said saved lives.