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After CBS host Stephen Colbert claimed Michigan’s GOP candidate for governor had fabricated a story about a voter who abandoned Democrats to vote Republican, the voter himself is speaking out to express anger.
In a monologue last week on The Late Show, Colbert mocked Republican candidate Tudor Dixon for a story she shared in her recent debate with incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In the debate, Dixon described how a man who attended her campaign rally said he had been a loyal Democrat for a long time but had decided to switch sides due to his frustration with “sexually explicit books” in school libraries — a story Colbert joked was ‘total made was’ up’.
‘Fine. That’s what happened,” Colbert joked, using quotes from thin air to express his skepticism. Now it turns out that the voter is very real and very unhappy.
“Claiming I’m not there, I don’t exist, I’m not human, that’s absolute ignorance,” Khalil Othman, 41, told the Detroit Free Presssaying he attended a Dixon rally, where he stated he intended to switch sides.
“If this person has done their due diligence and starts investigating, or has their team do a little bit of research on who this person who attended Dixon’s rally is, they’ll be able to find my name easily on social media right away. Google it,” Othman added.
CBS host Stephen Colbert claimed a story about a voter defecting from the Democrats to the GOP was ‘totally made up’, but now the voter is speaking out
“Claiming I’m not there, I don’t exist, I’m not human, that’s absolute ignorance,” Khalil Othman, 41, (above) told the Detroit Free Press of Colbert’s comments
Tudor Dixon (right) shared Othman’s story, without naming him, in her recent debate with incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer (left)
A spokeswoman for The Late Show did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Wednesday night.
Othman, a father of five who is originally from Yemen, is a former candidate for Dearborn City Council and Michigan House of Representatives, and was a candidate for both positions as a Democrat.
“Since immigrating to this great country nearly twenty years ago, I have been a loyal Democrat,” he explained in a statement. Facebook post.
“Never have I ever voted Republican. However, the situation with the sexually oriented material in the schools was a bridge too far for me. When it comes to my kids and my family, I won’t budge. Family for the party!’ He wrote.
Othman wrote that because he felt his concerns were being ignored or downplayed by Democrats, he decided to hear Dixon speak at a rally and “make my own judgment.”
He shared that he was encouraged by her comments, as well as by his conversations with the candidate and her supporters, and announced his “divorce” from the Democratic Party.
Othman is seen at an event for Dixon with other supporters of the GOP candidate. He previously ran for state and local offices as a Democrat
Othman (second from left) has shared his story publicly on social media, expressing his disappointment that Colbert would question his existence on national television
Othman is part of a group of parents who have protested in recent weeks against books in Dearborn’s public school libraries that they believe contain inappropriate sexual content, including several LGBTQ-themed.
“I am a proud Muslim American who always lives up to my values and concerns,” Othman told the Free Press.
Dearborn has voted Democrat Blue for the past ten or twenty years. But not anymore. On behalf of myself and my family, I guarantee you that my family and my friends will vote for Republicans,” he said.
Dixon, a former conservative radio host, received the GOP nomination in Michigan after gaining Donald Trump’s endorsement and support from the wealthy family of former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who are major political players in the state.
Although Dixon chased Whitmer in the polls throughout the campaign, the gap has narrowed significantly as the November 8 election approaches.
The latest RCP poll average shows Whitmer narrowly ahead of just 3.4 points, with multiple recent polls showing the race in a draw.
In her Oct. 25 debate with Whitmer, Dixon shared Othman’s story, without identifying him by name, saying a voter approached her at a rally and said he changed his vote for the GOP because he felt his concerns were ignored by the Democrats.
He said, “I found content in my school library that describes how to have sex with my son. I went to the Democrats and I said, I can’t believe this is in it,” Dixon recalled.
“Because the Democrats aren’t standing up for our kids and going back to basics, he said, I’m leaving the Democratic Party,” Dixon added.
Dixon, a former conservative radio host, got the GOP nomination in Michigan after getting Donald Trump’s endorsement. She follows by a small margin in the polls
Whitmer, the incumbent Democrat, has focused her campaign on abortion rights. Whitmer had an early fundraising advantage over Dixon, but the gap has narrowed
On the campaign trail, Dixon also knocked Colbert down for wondering if Othman existed.
“I told his story,” Dixon told a rally on Sunday. “And Stephen Colbert picks it up. …And they make this whole skit about how this never happened. That’s what he said, this story never happened. That’s where the Democrats are now. You don’t exist, your stories don’t matter.’
In his monologue, Colbert argued that even if Othman’s story were true, his expectation that the Democratic Party could allay his concerns was misplaced.
“If someone found a book the school library didn’t like, why would they go to the Democrats?” said Colbert.
“That’s like saying, ‘Sorry, is this Chuck Schumer’s office? I didn’t like the final of House of the Dragon,” Colbert joked.
In the imperious tone of one outraged voter, Colbert added: “In addition, this natural peanut butter is way too greasy when it’s in the cupboard, but it gets too hard when it’s in the fridge. I vote Republican! Good day, Sir.’