(WXYZ) — Calvin Johnson is not a fan of the way President Donald Trump has handled the coronavirus pandemic.
The 34-year-old is no longer working for the Lions, but he has business in Michigan. He said he watched closely how Governor Gretchen Whitmer handled the pandemic differently than President Trump did.
"What if we had a leader by example that wears his mask, that preaches social distancing, and believes in the science?" the Lions legend said on a panel Thursday.
Johnson spoke at the panel, held virtually. Michigan State Representative and former Michigan State offensive lineman Joe Tate hosted the conversation with Johnson. It was officially billed as an event for Joe Biden's campaign.
“The leadership in Michigan here. Governor Gretchen took it seriously here, locking things down, saving a lot of lives from day one. You can only wonder what if we had done the same with the federal response?" Johnson said.
The former wide receiver has multiple business ventures in Michigan, including marijuana shops. He spends time in Georgia, where college football will happen in multiple conferences this fall.
"I’m from the South. I’m from Georgia, and everything is football. It’s the same up here in Michigan, and even more so now that I have businesses across the state of Michigan, Lansing and in Niles," Johnson said. "Niles in particular, it’s a small town just like seven to eight miles north of South Bend. I know Notre Dame is on its own schedule, but that town, like you said, thrives on the commerce from people who travel in and out of Southern Michigan going to Notre Dame games. People who are going through Lansing to Michigan State games. That’s hundreds of thousands of people. That’s numerous tax dollars that can’t be reappropriated to the citizens of this state.”
