Michigan gubernatorial challenger Tudor Dixon calls out Whitmer on COVID shutdowns: Trying to rewrite history
Democrat Whitmer claims students were only out of school three months during COVID
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon continued to challenge Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on her record of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic following Tuesday's final debate before Election Day.
Dixon joined "Fox & Friends" Wednesday to discuss the showdown and a claim made by the governor that she only kept children out of schools for three months.
"We were able to call her out for what she's done over the past four years," Dixon said. "And then as you can see from that, she's not willing to admit to it. So the Michigan people got to see that she is going to try to rewrite history."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MICHIGAN AG WON’T INVESTIGATE WHITMER’S COVID NURSING HOME POLICIES
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, left, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon are seen during a Michigan Governor debate, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapid, Mich. (Bryan Esler/Nexstar Media Group/WOOD-TV via AP) (Bryan Esler/Nexstar Media Group/WOOD-TV via AP)
Dixon argued Whitmer's false claims on lockdowns are evidence she is "willing to lie" to the people of Michigan.
"The truth is that she changed over to the Department of Health and Human Services and forced them to close down schools. And the last time I checked, they do report to the governor's office," Dixon said. "She had all the power in the state to say, no, we're not going to have our schools shut down."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dixon said when states like Florida sent kids back to school, Whitmer refused and did not stand strong for kids. The education system in Michigan is "devastating" as a result, she argued.
"We're in the bottom 10… That's how devastating the education system is in the state of Michigan," Dixon said. "No matter how many times we called her out for that and asked what her plan was to get these students back on track, she just diverts the blame. She won't talk about it. She doesn't have a plan."
Polls show the contest between Whitmer and Dixon increasingly a toss-up. The race to date has been defined by the issue of abortion, as well as crime and inflation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GRAND RAPIDS, MI: Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon (L) celebrates her win on primary election night at the Amway Grand Plaza. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
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Dixon, a mother of four and conservative commentator, has sought to make Whitmer's leadership throughout the pandemic a top issue in the contest.
"Like many of you, I had a small business crushed [by coronavirus lockdowns]. Like many of you I lost a loved one," Dixon said during the debate. "Gretchen Whitmer doesn't want to be defined by her carelessness or dishonesty or her hypocrisy during that time."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Haris Alic contributed to this report.