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Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey says he doesn't regret 'Chinese flu army' comment

Mike Shirkey AP Images
Posted at 10:01 AM, Mar 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-18 10:01:02-04

(WXYZ) — After receiving backlash for his racist 'Chinese flu army' comment on the Bart Hawley Show in January, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey told the host this month that he doesn't regret his comments.

"It's where it came from," he said on a March 15 episode of the Jackson TV show.

Shirkey tested positive for COVID-19 in December, his office confirmed.

On the Bart Hawley Show in January, Shirkey said he had symptoms for just over nine days.

He reportedly experienced a fever and was fatigued and recovered at home during quarantine.

Shirkey has been a vocal critic of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan.