Mike Pence slammed for taking 8-car motorcade to historic Mackinac Island where vehicles have been banned since 1898
Vice President drew the ire of Democrats and Trump critics after he took a motorcade to a speech on Michigan's famous Mackinac Island were driving has been banned since 1898.
As Pence prepared to give a speech a the Republican Leadership Conference Saturday, he took an eight-vehicle motorcade to the island's Grand Hotel, Time reports.
The vice president flew to Michigan before taking a helicopter to the island and later transferred to vehicles brought in the night before via sea. This was the first-ever motorcade on the island, per the Detroit Free Press, as vehicles were prohibited since 1898 except for snowmobiles, emergency, and service vehicles.
Unsurprisingly, the event triggered a sea of liberals to slam VP. One of them being Julia Pulver, a Democratic state Senate candidate in 2018, who called the motorcade a "huge transgression."
Pulver, a registered nurse from Michigan, tweeted, "For those not from MI, you should understand what a huge transgression this is. Our #MackinacIsland has been a car-free haven forever, a piece of history frozen in time. Tell anyone from MI @VP just drove not 1 but 8 CARS on this island & watch their blood boil."
President Gerald Ford had traveled by a horse-drawn carriage when he visited the island in 1975.
"Banned for a century, people, and here comes the Trump Administration trampling all over it, like they do the U.S. Constitution," Rashida Tlaib tweeted on Sunday. "This video of the cars driving on our beautiful #MackinacIsland makes my stomach turn."
Another Michigander wrote, "Mike’s just keeping with this administration’s theme, trampling over everything and everyone and breaking every norm, rule, and law in their path. They even go out of their way to be douche bags."
"Justify it. 5 U.S. presidents, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all came to Mackinac Island. None brought a motorcade," a third Twitter user wrote. "Justify it. Any of you. All you #ComplicitGOP people suck."
Supporters of Pence noted that security was a more important issue during his visit to Mackinac Island, a small US territory that measures just 3.8 square miles.
The island, which draws some 1 million tourists every year and has an average population of just under 500, is famous for its abundance of fudge.
Having said that, quite a few Michiganders celebrated Pence's visit.
"The idea of cars on Mackinac Island makes me wince," Michigan-based journalist Alicia Rancilio tweeted. "But I do recognize security issues like this may require them."
Meanwhile, Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry, declared on social media it was proud to have transported the vice president's eight-car motorcade to the island. "It was our honor to transport the VP’s emergency vehicles to Mackinac Island this weekend," Shepler’s posted on Facebook.
"Regardless of your political views, your voting history, or your choice in fudge flavor, we hope you’ll understand the logistical intricacies involved in securing our leaders while visiting. We were happy to be selected for this important transport."