The brewing political crossfire in Farmington Hills, Michigan, took an intriguing turn when a local state representative, renowned for supporting former President Trump’s election claims, plunged himself into hot water. The clamorous aftermath of false allegations he sparked on social media has resulted in widespread criticism. The lawmaker, a Republican, made the unfounded assertion that buses transporting college athletes to Detroit for the famed March Madness basketball tournament were, in fact, carrying illegal immigrants into the city.
The controversy unfurled in earnest Wednesday night, when State House Rep. Matt Maddock posted photos showcasing three conspicuously parked buses near an Allegiant plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. He brazenly stated that these vehicles were “stocked with illegal invaders,” inciting a flurry of bewildered and angry reactions.
The lawmaker, who claims the title of Michigan’s “most conservative state representative,” took to the controversial social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He asked his followers, “Anyone have any idea where they’re headed with their police escort?”
However, a swift clarification from the Wayne County Airport Authority extinguished any uncertainties. They confirmed the buses seen in the viral photo were not transporting illegal immigrants, but were indeed carrying four college basketball teams and their staff to Detroit. The teams were in town for the highlight event of the NCAA basketball season, much-awaited March Madness.
The Republican representative’s post was met with swift backlash, with several social media users making note of an earlier post from the Gonzaga men’s basketball team’s social media page. Their post featured the same Allegiant plane and indicated their departure for Detroit.
In response to Maddock’s unfounded claims, state Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat, sharply countered on social media. She called out the misrepresentation, criticizing Maddock for his undiplomatic greeting to the Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team arriving for March Madness.
Doubling down, Maddock fought back Thursday, arguing his case by stating how hundreds of thousands of “illegals are pouring into our country,” including Michigan. When confronted by The Associated Press, he refused to acknowledge that the buses were transporting basketball players, stating, “I haven’t heard a good answer yet.”
Notably, some Republicans who had initially supported Maddock’s assertions, such as Michigan GOP chairman Pete Hoekstra, retracted their support.
Maddock, who represents parts of metro Detroit, received an endorsement from Donald Trump during his reelection campaign in 2022. In his endorsement, Trump declared Michigan required leadership willing to scrutinize and document what he termed the “2020 voter fraud, the crime of the century.”
The wave of controversy continues to surge around Maddock’s household, as his wife, Meshawn Maddock, is one of 15 Republicans presently facing criminal charges on accusations of posing as fraudulent electors for then-President Trump in 2020. All defendants, including Meshawn Maddock, formally co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, have pled not guilty.
