Should Michigan's Trump-supporters hold their breath waiting for an apology from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who's blamed us all for the hare-brained plot to kidnap her?  It would be one way to guarantee a blue state for Election Day.

According to a search warrant affidavit recently unsealed in federal court, one of the leaders of the plot to kidnap the governor "also threatened to hang President Donald Trump" and kill the Republican governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster.  Barry Croft, the Delaware crank facing a federal charge of conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer, posted on Facebook in June that he's "for hanging Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians."  As for Trump, Croft sounds remarkably simpatico with Rashida Tlaib, saying he'd like to "hang this mf'er too."

All of this blows to pieces one of the left's most useful fables.  Until now, the unquestioned story has been that the plotters — a hodgepodge of underachievers referred to by the feds as the "Wolverine Watchmen" — were Trump-supporters who took as their "go" order the president's inartful "stand back and stand by" message to the Proud Boys at his September 28 debate.  Anyone who watched the debate knows that the president's words were nothing more than his futile attempt to denounce white supremacy to Chris Wallace's satisfaction.  

Governor Whitmer, who happens to be one of the Biden campaign's co-chairs and "surrogates," leapt at the political opportunity to trash her boss's opponent.  She ran to the media to announce, without a shred of evidence, that the president was "complicit" in the plot, and "that those who were plotting to kidnap her had 'heard the president's words not as a rebuke but as a rallying cry — as a call to action.'"  Jesse Jackson claimed that the "connections" were "inescapable" that "[t]he plotters were emboldened" by Trump's "stand by" phrase.  Rashida Tlaib knew that the kidnappers acted because Trump "didn't do enough to condemn white supremacists."  Whitmer was even able to duck Trump's criticisms of her despotic Wuhan virus lockdown by saying they were just putting female leaders like herself "at risk ... [to] help his reelection." 

Speaking of elections, Whitmer's "rallying cry" shtick meant boss Joe had yet one more lie to throw at Trump.  He recently told one of his tiny Michigan crowds, "'When the president tweeted, 'LIBERATE MICHIGAN!  LIBERATE MICHIGAN!' that's the call that was heard ... That was the dog whistle."

But we know now that Barry Croft and his pals hated Trump and definitely weren't looking to him for orders.  There had been earlier reports, largely ignored, that at least one other conspirator was a BLM-supporter, and another was an anarchist who hated Trump and hated law enforcement.  In other words, these guys didn't share the values that draw tens of thousands to cheer themselves hoarse at Trump rallies.  But the mainstream narrative was too strong, and that version is now frozen in leftist amber as a specimen of Trump spreading hate and division.

Glomming onto Whitmer's barefaced lie that "the president of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups," Jesse Jackson thought it only fair that the head of Michigan's Republican Party, House speaker Lee Chatfield, apologize to Her Honor.  But, to Jackson's disgust, "rather than apologize, [Chatfield] released a letter criticizing Whitmer for not warning legislators about the plot."

It does seem awfully inconsiderate that Whitmer didn't warn the legislators of the danger she described as so "jarring" for her (the danger was very little, in fact).  Not surprising though, from someone who's been governing since Day One as if the Legislature didn't exist. 

Now it's out there that the Wolverine Watchmen hate Trump almost as much as Governor Whitmer and Rashida Tlaib do.  Rather than being Trump's Sturmtruppen, these crackpots  are just poor schlubs who couldn't figure out where to sign up for Antifa.

So after all the baseless accusations she's made, isn't it Whitmer who should be apologizing? 

In 2016, 47% of Michigan voters helped put Trump in the White House.  That number is probably even higher now.  Yet for weeks we've had to hear Gretchen Whitmer repeatedly slander those same citizens as domestic terrorists, glued to their TVs with ears cocked for Trump's silent signal to attack the innocent.  

An apology is definitely owed.  And maybe some flowers and a very big box of candy.  

Just kidding.  It's Chinatown, Jake.  Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry.

T.R. Clancy looks at the world from Dearborn, Michigan.  You can email him at trclancy@yahoo.com.

Image: Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy University of Michigan via Flickr.