Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer apologized for the backlash she received over a viral clip in which, while promoting CHIPS Act and a podcaster, Whitmer fed a Dorito. Some Catholics interpreted this as mocking Communion.

Liz Plank, a podcaster and influencer, posted the video on her Instagram account on Friday.

The clip shows Plank kneeling on her hands and knees as Whitmer, in a Harris-Walz campaign cap, feeds her a Dorito while Nelly’s song “Dilemma”, from 2002, plays in the background.

The caption, which referred to the 2022 CHIPS Act read: “If he doesn’t, Gretchen Whitmer won’t.” The CHIPS Act, which boosts domestic semiconductor production to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, is not just delicious. Donald Trump could put this at risk.”

The CHIPS Act was signed into law by Joe Biden and provides $280 billion to domestic research in the fields of science, technology engineering, mathematics, and semiconductor manufacturing. The act provides $39 billion for subsidies to chip manufacturers on U.S. territory.

The video was meant to highlight the benefits of the Michigan legislation for jobs. However, Catholic groups were outraged by the images, which they said resembled the sacrament of communion.

Paul A. Long, the president and chief executive officer of the Michigan Catholic Conference issued a statement Saturday condemning the clip, saying that it was not only distasteful and “strange,” but also a familiar example of a elected official mocking religion and its practices.

Long said that, even if it wasn’t intended to insult Catholics “it had an offensive effect.” The conference called on public officials to show greater respect for people of religion.

Whitmer apologized for the incident. In my 25 years of public service, Whitmer has never done anything to undermine someone’s religion. She said that she has used her platform to defend people’s rights to practice and hold their own religious beliefs.

Whitmer stated that the video’s purpose was to emphasize the importance of CHIPS Act and not to mock anyone else’s religion. My team spoke to the Michigan Catholic Conference. “What was meant to be a short video on the importance of Michigan’s CHIPS Act for jobs was misconstrued, and I apologize.”

Plank responded to Whitmer’s backlash by writing on X (formerly Twitter), “This is trend, weirdos. Chill out,” along with a video showing actor Jeremy Allen White giving a pizza slice to Stephen Colbert, a late-night show host.

The video mimicked a social media trend in which one person feeds another food while the Nelly song is playing in the background.