The largest newspaper in Michigan stepped up to fact-check the recent comments from the host of “The Late Show,” comedian Stephen Colbert, for the issuing of an entirely false claim that he spouted about Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon.
As part of a debate that took place last week with Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer, nominee Dixon stated, “I had a gentleman come up to me just a few nights ago, and he said, ‘I found content in my school library describing how to have sex to my son.’”
“I went to the Democrats and I said, ‘I cannot believe that this is in there.’ … He said ‘just a few weeks ago, not only was I a Democrat, but I was running for office as a Democrat,'” Dixon went on. “He said because Democrats won’t stand up for our children and go back to the basics, ‘I’m leaving the Democratic Party.'”
“Dixon’s not the only one worried about this issue,” answered Colbert seemingly mockingly. “So is this guy she totally made up.”
Despite the comedian’s comments, the man in question, Khalil Othman, explained to representatives of the Detroit Free Press that he is, in fact, a real person, his story is entirely real, and his transition to the Republican Party did take place.
“To claim that I’m not here, I don’t exist, I’m not human, that’s absolute ignorance,” explained the 41-year-old Othman. “If this person did his due diligence and start researching or has his team do a little bit of research of who’s this person who attended Dixon’s rally, they will be able to find my name right away easy on social media. Just Google it.”
While taking part in a rally for Dixon a few weeks prior out in Flat Rock, Othman told his story to the gathered crowd concerning why he made the choice to jump the aisle and become Republican.
“My name is Khalil Othman. I came all the way from Dearborn, Michigan. I’m here along with two parents, concerned parents … against these sexually explicit books,” he explained. “I am a proud Muslim American who expresses my values and concerns all the time.”
“Dearborn has been voting Democrat blue for the last decade or two decades. But not anymore,” he went on. “On behalf of myself and my family, I guarantee you for sure that my family and my friends will vote for Republicans.”
While posting to social media, Othman claimed that he had been “a loyal Democrat” for close to two decades once he fully immigrated from the Middle East.
“Never once did I ever vote Republican,” he stated. “However, the situation with the sexually explicit material in the schools was for me a bridge too far. When it comes to my kids and my family, I will not budge.”
The race for the governor’s seat in Michigan is neck-and-neck as the state heads into the upcoming midterm elections that have spawned polls that show Dixon sitting within just a couple of points of Whitmer.