LANSING (WWJ) - A Republican legislative leader is getting backlash after being quoted as calling Governor Gretchen Whitmer "crazy."
Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey allegedly made the remarks to a college Republican group last week.
A reporter for the Collegian at Hillsdale College quoted Shirkey as saying Gov. Whitmer and Democratic lawmakers are "on the batsh*t crazy spectrum." He also reportedly called Whitmer's budget vetoes and transfers "rash political misbehavior."
Shirkey's spokesperson says he regrets making the remarks, calling them "flippant" and a "poor choice of words."
"In times of peak frustration we often say things we don't mean, but that's no excuse for my offensive statement. It was disrespectful and unnecessary," Shirkey said in a statement.
A Whitmer spokesperson called the comments sexist, saying "Just like President Trump, it seems clear that women in power make the Senate Majority Leader very uncomfortable."
