Gretchen Whitmer Drops Hilarious Hot Mic F-Bomb Just Seconds Before DNC Speech
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) delivered a scathing indictment of President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic on Monday for the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
Whitmer described Trump as “a president who fights his fellow Americans rather than fight the virus that’s killing us and our economy,” and urged citizens to vote Democratic in November.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will lead by example,” she said. “Science, not politics or ego, will drive their decisions.”
But it’s what she said before the speech ― the part you weren’t supposed to see ― that received the most attention.
“It’s not just Shark Week,” Whitmer said during the hot-mic pre-speech moment posted online by The Recount. “It’s Shark Week, motherfuckers.”
Whitmer whispered that last word, which was barely audible:
Gov. Whitmer (D-MI) jokes before going live: "It's not just Shark Week ... it's Shark Week *mouths expletive*" pic.twitter.com/KSndbTvLZi
— The Recount (@therecount) August 18, 2020
It’s not clear what the context was, but Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” concluded over the weekend, and the phrase with the profanity attached is sometimes used by fans hyped up for the event.
“I have learned about the hot mic,” she cracked with a finger wag.
Twitter users appreciated the moment of levity:
@WhySharksMatter I am ok declaring It's "Shark Week Motherfuckers" the official rallying cry of Team Ocean 2020. @ayanaeliza, @MiriamGoldste I'm going to need a second. https://t.co/sZfZx5WGpY
— Andrew Thaler (@DrAndrewThaler) August 18, 2020
I need a shirt that says “It’s Shark Week, motherfuckers” https://t.co/rKwq1uhuMM
— Pgh Gurl (@PghGurl) August 18, 2020
If Whitmer had actually opened her speech with a hard and deliberate "It's shark week motherfuckers!" It would have been the best line of the night. https://t.co/ohkpUmVhnV
— Chris Colasurdo (@CColasurd) August 18, 2020
“It’s shark week motherfuckers. “ Big Gretch is queen 👑 https://t.co/1ZHWGjlr5p
— Megan Eme (@megan_eme) August 18, 2020
Let's live every one of the next 11 weeks like it's shark week, motherfuckers. https://t.co/tVVTpjLSQf
— Rebecca Parks (@BeckyRParks) August 18, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.