Shirkey, the most elected Republican in the state, told Gilchrist that he does not remove the points he was trying to make in a video that appeared on Tuesday, in which he was caught claiming that the protesters did not support Trump and that the whole insurrection was a farce.
“Frankly, I don’t take away any of the points I was trying to make,” said Shirkey in audio captured from the conversation. “Some of the words I chose, I do, and I’m sorry at the end.”
Gilchrist explained the conversation he had with Shirkey on Wednesday morning from his perspective, telling CNN that he started the conversation to tell the majority leader that he would make a statement about the video.
“After he finished his invocation this morning, I informed him that I would make a public statement about the comments he had made, about his hoax comment, about his comments about the governor, and I warned him that I would make a statement about it” , Gilchrist told CNN, referring to Shirkey’s insulting comments about Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, in the same video.
“I thought the conversation was over after I told him, and he decided to come back to me without being encouraged and to double his conspiracy theory that someone who was not a Trump supporter was behind the insurrection that led to the death of people on Capitol Hill. “
In the video posted on Tuesday, Shirkey told Hillsdale County Republican Party officials that the US Capitol riot was a scam and defended several conspiracy theories involving political leadership.
“That was not Trump’s people,” said Shirkey.
“This was a scam from day one, everything was pre-arranged,” said Shirkey, saying the protesters “got on separate buses, all arranged by someone who financed everyone.”
“Why was there no more security? It was ridiculous, everything was staged,” he continued, before pointing to conspiracy theories that the Republican leadership – including Senate minority Mitch McConnell – was somehow involved and questioning how and why some casualties occurred or were recorded.
Gilchrist said that Shirkey addressed these comments directly in his conversation, telling CNN: “He was referring to the fake comment, that’s what he meant when talking to me this morning.”
Shirkey had previously acknowledged that the video of his statements about the protesters was legitimate.
“I said a few things in a video conversation that are not suitable for the position I am privileged to serve,” he said on Tuesday in his apology. “I have it. I have a lot of flaws. Being passionate along with an occasional lapse in tongue control are at least two of them.”
Based on his interaction with Shirkey, Gilchrist told CNN: “It is clear from the actions he took and the words he used that that apology was not genuine that he had no remorse for making these comments, just saying that he could use a few different words, but the essence was what he believed in and he still believed in it, so that apology was not real. “
“The fact that he chose to double I think is really unfortunate,” he added.
Michigan Democratic Party President Lavora Barnes, in a statement provided to CNN, asked Shirkey to resign.
“Mike Shirkey has proved that he is totally unable to lead and must resign immediately due to his recent outrageous claim that the insurrection and violence at the United States Capitol was a scam,” Barnes said in the statement.
“Shirkey has been spoiling and funding paramilitary groups and his latest comment exposed him as a crazy QAnon who promotes conspiracy theories that foment violence for one group while trying to play statesman for others. Shirkey’s irresponsible actions have put health at risk public life, put lives at risk and made Michigan a national laughing stock. ”
The initial recorded meeting with Shirkey took place on February 3 at Spangler’s Family Restaurant in Jonesville, Michigan, said Hillsdale County Republican Party Secretary Jon Smith, who told CNN he posted the video on his personal YouTube page. “I didn’t trust him to be honest with me and I wanted to expose his lies and I might need this to keep him on my own record,” said Smith of his reason for filming Shirkey.
CNN’s Caroline Kelly contributed to this report.