The Capitol building in Lansing is like a second office for reporters who cover Michigan’s state government. So as details of an alleged terrorist plot that included plans to kidnap the governor and storm the Capitol came to light last week, Zach Gorchow of Gongwer News Service felt rattled.
“It's all too terrifying to contemplate. Except now we have to think about the unthinkable,” he wrote in a blog post for Gongwer, where he's the executive editor and publisher.
"It's all too terrifying to contemplate. Except now we have to think about the unthinkable." -Zach Gorchow
Later, Gorchow started wondering about a potentially unifying moment for the state that seemed to be slipping away.
In an interview with Morning Edition on Michigan Radio, Gorchow said Governor Gretchen Whitmer, House Speaker Lee Chatfield, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey missed an opportunity to come together after the revelations about the plot.
“They've shown, right after they all took their respective offices in 2019, that they can have a very amicable tone,” he said. “The difference now is there's a lot more at stake [in the upcoming election] than there was then. I'd like to take an optimistic tone on this, but, I wouldn't have written it if I felt it was naturally going to happen.”
To hear the full conversation, click the play button at the top of the page.
Further reading: 'Grappling With The Unthinkable' by Zach Gorchow for Gongwer News Service
