Lujan Grisham says threats to her on rise

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday that threats against her and her administration have been on the rise since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Her comments came after authorities announced the same day that six people were charged in an alleged domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Seven other militia members faced terrorism charges.

“Threats to my Cabinet, myself, public health officials have absolutely increased,” Lujan Grisham said. “We pay real attention to it.”

New Mexico’s governor said one individual was serving a 14-month prison sentence for making a death threat.

Another threat in the early days of the pandemic came from someone who wished Lujan Grisham’s grandchildren would contract COVID-19, the governor said.

“This is not who we are as New Mexicans,” she said. “This illegal, hideous behavior must stop.”

The Democratic governor called the alleged plot against Whitmer, also a Democrat, a “chilling example” of “hate.”

When the news broke Thursday, Lujan Grisham said her daughters called her “terrified” and said the threats against her and her staff have been difficult to stomach.

“It is easy to have one of two emotions — whether you’re afraid … or whether you’re incredibly angry and so disappointed that anyone would take that kind of illegal, untenable course of action,” the governor said.

Asked whether she had made adjustments to her security processes since the allegations were announced in Michigan, Lujan Grisham said, “I have not undertaken — that I’m aware of — any relationships with the FBI.”

Whitmer said Thursday President Donald Trump did not condemn white supremacists in last week’s presidential debate with Joe Biden and instead told a far-right group to “stand back and stand by.”

Lujan Grisham also implied Trump was at least partly to blame for inciting the behavior.

“To have the White House tweet out again, ‘take back your state’ — I’m not quoting it exactly right — how is this occurring?” she said.

It wasn’t clear which Trump tweet the governor was referring to, but Biden said Thursday he thought the president’s tweet in April encouraging people to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” had encouraged such militias.