Michigan
If Michigan Primary Voters Snub Joe Biden, Blame Joe Biden
Five years ago, Democratic Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was at the center of a controversy over her comments about a president. Speaking of then president Donald Trump, she said, “We’re going to be impeach the motherfucker.”
Some Democrats criticized her profanity. Trump himself, not otherwise known for being sensitive about such matters, said he thought her comment was “disgraceful” and that Tlaib had “dishonored herself and dishonored her family” by saying it. Reports at the time observed that the congresswoman was “unapologetic.” Today, Tlaib is again being criticized for allegedly showing disrespect to a sitting president: this time Joe Biden.
Tlaib helped elect Joe Biden in 2020. Michigan is an important swing state, and as I noted at the time she seemed to be working a lot harder than the official Biden campaign itself to get out the vote there. But today, like many Americans, Tlaib is deeply disgusted by President Biden’s role in arming, financing, and providing diplomatic cover to the state of Israel as it indiscriminately slaughters civilians in Gaza. Tlaib is Palestinian American, with family currently living in the West Bank.
Now, Tlaib is urging Michigan Democrats to vote against the president in next Tuesday’s Democratic Party presidential primary. In the absence of a strong challenger, she’s calling for a vote for “uncommitted” — the electoral equivalent of picking “None of the Above” on a multiple-choice quiz. The strategy does not directly pertain to the general election.
Mainstream Democrats and the kinds of Never-Trump Republican hangers-on who fill the airwaves at MSNBC have been attacking Tlaib for taking this stand against the mass murder of Palestinian civilians. Tellingly, in every clip I’ve seen, they haven’t gotten mad at the substance of her opposition to President Biden. They haven’t argued that he was right to repeatedly veto cease-fire resolutions at the UN or to bypass Congress to repeatedly rush military aid to Israel even as the Israeli operation has displaced over 85 percent of the civilians in Gaza from their homes and killed thousands upon thousands of Palestinian children.
They haven’t said she’s being unfair and tried to defend the “targeted” nature of an operation so obviously committed to destroying the conditions of Palestinian life in Gaza that the territory’s last remaining university was destroyed with a controlled demolition. They haven’t said that everyone should vote for Biden instead of casting an “uncommitted” protest vote because Tlaib is wrong and Biden is right that Israel is “defending itself” rather than seizing the opportunity to carry out a massive act of ethnic cleansing. Instead, they’ve mostly just expressed umbrage at her disloyalty and disrespect for the leader of her party. They’ve acted, in other words, like she called Joe Biden a “motherfucker.”
In one segment on MSNBC, Democratic strategist Don Calloway said that when educational institutions in the Detroit area “don’t get the proper appropriations from the Democratic administration,” voters should “remember that it’s because your Democratic congresswoman told them not to vote for the Democratic president.”
Calloway is describing a hypothetical scenario in which a particular region’s educational institutions go underfunded as punishment for failure to show proper deference in a party primary. Were that to happen, it would be a blatant act of corruption. But Calloway seemed certain that Tlaib, rather than a vengeful Biden administration, would be at fault in this hypothetical situation. “You don’t slap the president in the face and then expect to be treated as a member of the caucus in good standing,” he said.
In another segment, Democratic Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman — who has broken entirely with any kind of remotely progressive values on the issue of Israel, which he supports unreservedly even as it indiscriminately destroys civilian life in Gaza — didn’t mention Tlaib by name, but said of any Democrats “criticizing the president publicly” that “you might as well just get your MAGA hat.” Later in the segment, former Republican congressman David Jolly — apparently one of MSNBC’s vast stable of Never-Trumpers — chimed in that “if you want to see Donald Trump beat Joe Biden,” then voices like Tlaib’s “questioning Joe Biden’s leadership” are the way to make that happen. Never mind that Biden isn’t running against Trump in Michigan’s Democratic primary.
Even at this early stage of the democratic process, the likes of Calloway and Jolly and Fetterman seem to think, there should be a North Korean standard of loyalty: zero tolerance for any opposition to The Leader. Perhaps you can whisper in private that you wish he weren’t vetoing cease-fire resolutions and rushing arms to the Israeli government at a time when the International Court of Justice has issued a preliminary ruling that there’s a credible risk that Israel’s war crimes in Gaza will rise to the level of “genocide.” But you certainly can’t “criticize the president publicly.”
On one level, it’s absurd that the line of scrimmage has moved so far that the kind of contempt that used to be reserved for third-party voters is being applied to failure to display lockstep obedience even in a primary. On the other, Biden does have reason to worry. This issue could indeed be radioactive to Biden by the time he is actually up against Trump in November.
The disgust Tlaib has been expressing about the US-backed ethnic cleansing in Gaza isn’t limited to Palestinian Americans like her, or indeed Michigan’s large Arab American community more generally. A clear majority of Americans think the United States should promote a permanent cease-fire — even in polls that are slanted by absurdly postulating “defeating Hamas” as a possible outcome of the current slaughter. (Reality check: the mass killing and displacement of Palestinian civilians is far more likely to supercharge Hamas’s recruitment than lead to its disappearance.) And the sentiment is even stronger among Democratic voters. Only 20 percent of voters who went with Biden in 2020 are sure that what he’s backing in Gaza doesn’t rise to the level of a “genocide” — with 30 percent unsure and a whopping 50 percent saying the word fits.
That comes as little surprise when any voter with access to the internet is a few clicks away from footage that would freeze their blood, much of it taken by the very troops carrying out the atrocities. Numerous videos have circulated online, clearly taken by Israeli soldiers themselves, in which they ransack Palestinian homes, mocking their intimate possessions or joking about the home’s destruction. A Telegram channel that turned out to have been secretly run by an Israeli military office, aimed at demoralizing the enemy, ran snuff videos of Palestinians being brutalized and killed in Gaza with posts advertising the videos saying things like “you can hear the crunch of their bones” and talking about “exterminating the roaches.” How exactly does Fetterman expect, in such an environment, not to hear any progressives “criticizing of the president publicly”? Tlaib is hoping that a major symbolic display of the growing outrage in Michigan might embarrass Biden enough to influence his decisions. I hope she’s right. But there’s an excellent chance that Biden will track a trail of Palestinian civilian blood from here to November, and that so many voters will stay home in disgust or vote for third parties that he’ll lose the election. It could happen.
I have no desire to see Donald Trump return to the White House. If it happens, though, don’t blame Rashida Tlaib. And don’t blame any voters who can’t get the sound of crunching bones out of their heads when November comes. Blame the president who’s providing the ammunition and diplomatic cover to the army “exterminating the roaches” — and who could have stopped any time he chose.
Michigan
Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court Friday on charges of stalking, home invasion, and breaking and entering, just days after being fired from his position.
The 39-year-old coach, who has no prior criminal history, was terminated by the university on Wednesday following an investigation that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident that occurred after the victim, a University of Michigan staff member, ended her relationship with Moore on Monday (Dec. 8).
Following the breakup, Moore allegedly made numerous unwanted calls and texts to the victim.
The situation escalated on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2025, when Moore allegedly forced his way into the victim’s Pittsfield Township apartment.
Prosecutors say he grabbed kitchen utensils and threatened to take his own life, allegedly telling the victim, “My blood is on your hands.”
“The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intimidating. She was terrorized, your honor,” a prosecutor told the court during Friday’s arraignment.
Defense attorney Joseph Simon pushed back on prosecutors’ claims that Moore could be a threat to public safety.
“My client’s 39 years old, with zero prior criminal history, zero prior contact with the criminal justice system in any fashion,” Simon stated.
Attorney Todd Flood, who practices both criminal defense and civil litigation, said the fallout within the university could continue depending on when the organization was first alerted about the relationship and how university athletic officials first responded.
“What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it when they found out? Those are going to be the three major questions,” Flood said.
“The university could possibly have some culpability there, that they didn’t put a stop to this,” noted Flood, adding that the victim may have grounds to pursue action against both the university and Moore.
Flood said the stalking charge against Moore likely stems from a documented pattern of harassment.
“When there is a position where he is harassing, either via text messages, harassing via telephone calls, social media content, or showing up at a place where he doesn’t belong,” Flood said. “Those stalking charges are ones where you can show that pattern of conduct.”
“He’s ultimately going to probably plead this case out, under some sort of either misdemeanor, or something that gives probation,” Flood said.
Moore posted his $25,000 bond Friday.
As part of his bond conditions, he must wear a GPS tether, undergo mental health treatment, and have no contact with the victim.
He is scheduled to appear in court in person on Jan. 22.
–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond
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Michigan
What we’re hearing in Michigan football coach search: News, rumors
Sherrone Moore fired: Who could replace him at Michigan football?
Michigan beat writer Tony Garcia on who the Wolverines could target after firing Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
With the firing of Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Dec. 10, Michigan football is on the hunt for a new head coach.
It’s extremely late in the hiring cycle, with nearly every Power Four squad with an opening already having made a hire. But the Wolverines’ maize-and-blue brand could be strong enough to restart the coaching carousel, with several established coaches considered potential candidates for the U-M job.
It’ll be athletic director Warde Manuel’s call on the hire (with the usual inputs from donors and regents), despite rumors swirling on social media of his firing.
Here’s the latest on the Michigan football coaching search:
A former Notre Dame QB as Michigan football’s next head coach?
It’s possible.
Michigan football is reportedly interested in talking to Rees, according to Cleveland.com, who starred as a quarterback at Notre Dame. He moved up the coaching ranks fast, getting his big break as offensive coordinator with Notre Dame in 2020, where he served in the role for three years before moving to Alabama to be the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in Nick Saban’s last year. He has spent the last two years with the Browns, first as a passing game specialist and then as offensive coordinator this year.
Rees also reportedly talked to Penn State before the Nittany Lions landed on Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
It’s an interesting proposition, as Rees is seen as an up-and-coming young coach, but it can be wonky trying to hire NFL coaches into the college game due to the schedule. But in this circumstance, it just might work. The Browns are out of playoff contention so their season should drag out, and Michigan is in a position to wait longer than normal because early signing day for recruits is over and the transfer portal won’t open until January.
It’s early.
Michigan still has time to make a case.
But according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there’s “no indication” that Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, one of the hottest names in connection to the Wolverines, has an interest in taking the job in Ann Arbor.
DeBoer, who has Alabama in the 12-team College Football Playoff, was also briefly connected to Penn State earlier this offseason and quickly shot that down.
But never say never in college football in 2025.
If Michigan is looking to swing big for its third head coach in four seasons (or seventh, if you count the interims who served during Moore’s and Jim Harbaugh’s suspensions), the Free Press’ Tony Garcia broke down four big names, including a couple with established ties to Ann Arbor, one who couldn’t quite beat the Wolverines and another who’s the darling of the college football world.
Check out that list of candidates here.
Michigan
Bullough’s back: Ex-linebacker to be Michigan State co-defensive coordinator
A fan-favorite Spartan is coming back as an assistant coach.Max Bullough, a former MSU linebacker who has spent the past two seasons coaching linebackers at Notre Dame, is coming back to East Lansing to be a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Bullough confirmed in a biography change on X (formerly Twitter).
The move is a promotion for Bullough, who was a linebackers coach at Notre Dame the past two seasons. Bullough will serve alongside incumbent MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who The Detroit News confirmed last week is staying on Pat Fitzgerald’s first staff in East Lansing. Fitzgerald replaced Jonathan Smith, who went 5-19, 4-14 Big Ten in two seasons.Bullough, 33, played for Michigan State from 2010 to 2013, under head coach Mark Dantonio and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. He played immediately as a freshman and appeared in 53 college games, logging 284 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions.
He missed his final game — the 100th Rose Bowl against Stanford in 2013 — because of an unspecified violation of team rules. He never spoke publicly on the issue, though he was asked at the NFL Combine.Michigan State went 42-12 in Bullough’s four seasons with the Spartans, and 25-7 in Big Ten play, including the conference title in 2010 and 2013.After a brief NFL career with the Houston Texans and, in 2018, a stint on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad, Bullough got into coaching. He served as grad assistant for Cincinnati in 2019 under Luke Fickell, Alabama from 2020 to 2022 under Nick Saban (winning the College Football Playoff in his first year) and Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman in 2023. Freeman kept Bullough on as his linebackers coach last year, a season in which the Irish made it to the national championship game before losing to Ohio State.
Earlier this season, Bullough went viral in August for a video of him describing his detail-oriented approach during fall camp, citing knee bend and square tackling “when the s—‘s hard.”
Notre Dame finished the season 10-2, on a 10-game win streak, when it was left just outside the College Football Playoff bracket. Freeman and his team opted out of a bowl game, after terse words on the snub from AD Pete Bevacqua.Bullough coached a number of NFL draft picks in his career, including Dallas Turner (Minnesota Vikings), Christian Harris (Houston Texans), Henry To’oTo’o (Houston), Drew Sanders (Denver Broncos) and Jack Kiser (Jacksonville Jaguars).
Bullough won’t be the first in his family to coach at Michigan State. His grandfather, Hank, was an MSU guard and linebacker who won a national championship in 1952. Hank was also a well-regarded assistant coach on Duffy Daugherty’s staff from 1959 to 1969, including the national title teams in 1965 and 1966. He then went onto a pro coaching career that included stops with seven teams, including a head coaching tenure with the Buffalo Bills from 1985 to 1986.
After a year as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator in 1993, he finished his coaching career with a homecoming to Michigan State, where he was an assistant on George Perles’ final team. He died in 2019.
cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
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