Michigan leads US in new COVID cases as Gov. Whitmer takes heat from Republicans

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has come under fire for her leadership by the state's Republican Party as the Wolverine State has surpassed 700,000 total COVID-19 cases.

At the same time that Michigan hit the grim milestone, the state is the national leader in the number of cases of the novel coronavirus by population. As of Tuesday morning, Michigan is averaging more than 452 cases per 100,000 residents over the last seven days, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. 

The New York Times' list of top 10 cities where the outbreak is the worst includes seven Michigan cities, as of Tuesday morning. 

Whitmer's policies have garnered much ire from her opponents, who have hammered her over her controversial nursing home policies as well as her strict lockdown orders.

MICHIGAN GOV. WHITMER HAMMERED OVER NURSING HOME POLICY BY LOCAL TV STATION: 'A LOT OF MICHIGANDERS DIED'

"Despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's onerous lockdown policies and draconian shutdown orders, Michigan is still leading the nation in new COVID-19 cases," Ted Goodman, communications director for the Michigan Republican Party, told Fox News. 

"From the start of this pandemic, Whitmer has been more focused on the political science rather than the actual science, which is why Michigan is seeing an increase, compared to most of the country, where numbers are falling," Goodman added.

Republican Governors Association spokesperson Chris Gustafson also took aim at the governor, blasting her as being "asleep at the wheel" while the virus continues to spread in Michigan.

MICHIGAN AG WON’T INVESTIGATE WHITMER’S COVID NURSING HOME POLICIES

"Gretchen Whitmer is asleep at the wheel while COVID-19 rages on in Michigan," Gustafson said in a statement. "Whether it’s cutting hush money checks, instituting deadly Andrew Cuomo-inspired nursing home policies, or hiding from her constituents, Michiganders deserve better leadership than Gretchen Whitmer."

Whitmer's office didn't return a request for comment. 

Whitmer has also come under fire for her controversial COVID-19 nursing home policies, similar to one of the scandals surrounding embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Last month, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel rejected a request by state Republicans to look into the controversial nursing home policies that led to many deaths.

"I appreciate that you and your colleagues have policy disagreements with Gov. Whitmer’s response to COVID-19," Nessel wrote in a letter to Republican lawmakers. "But an investigation by my office is not the mechanism to resolve those disagreements."