Rebecca Cook/Reuters
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has hit back against critics who scrutinized her physical appearance and choice of attire during her State of the Union address this week. After local TV station Fox 2 News in Detroit ran a story titled “Social media focuses on Whitmer's dress - not her address,” the governor issued a statement on Twitter on Thursday. “Boys have teased me about my curves since 5th grade,” Whitmer fired back. “My mom said 'hold your head high and don’t let it bother you.' That @Fox2News story was way out of line. I’m tough, I can take it.” She later tweeted that her address was about “encouraging people to see the humanity in one another in this cruel political environment. In an era when so many women are stepping up to lead, I’m hoping people will focus on our ideas and accomplishments instead of our appearance.” Fox 2 News later posted a statement saying the network had not meant to make light of her address, but instead wanted to “examine” social media's focus on her physical appearance in order to highlight the “double standard faced by female leaders.”