On April 13, right-leaning blogger Pamela Geller promoted a false rumor on her website that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) had banned the sale of American flags in the state.
Geller’s erroneous post was inspired by a Twitter photo from an unverified account –– the picture featured a collection of American flags, at a Michigan Costco, barricaded off from customer reach with caution tape.
On April 9, Whitmer had issued an executive order that mandated large stores to close off areas designated to “garden centers and plant nurseries.”
Whitmer had indicated that businesses were required to abide by her instructions by “placing signs in aisles, posting prominent signs, removing goods from shelves or other appropriate means.”
Her order imposes the same limitations on carpeting, flooring and painting sections of stores.
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The provisions of her order are only applicable to in-person sales and stores that are over 50,000 square feet.
The Michigan state government has a FAQ on Whitmer’s April 9 order. It reads, “While the order places certain limits on how goods are sold, it does not ban Michiganders from buying any item, including flags.”
