Gretchen Whitmer became governor after committing to “fixing the damn road” in Michigan.
Whether she goes further depends on how well she can navigate through some of the early bumps to position herself, as there is a possibility of a White House bid.
On Wednesday, during a trip to Washington, D.C., Whitmer, who spotlighted her outlook in 2028, hit what many of her fellow Democrats considered two pretty substantial potholes.
First, in a policy speech outlined on a “consistent national strategy,” Whitmer bets on a common ground with President Donald Trump. And while Whitmer criticised Trump’s drastic, roller coaster rollout and subsequent retreat from tariffs, she said she was not opposed to tariffs, but expressed her understanding of Trump’s “motives” behind Trump’s development. It took a social media responsibilities from Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Police.
“The tariffs are totally bad because they lead to higher prices and destroy American production,” wrote Police, another potential 2028 candidate seeking a way to find a common cause with Trump, “trade is essentially good because both parties emerge from agreement-based transactions.”
Then, later on Wednesday, Whitmer joined Trump in an oval office. She was planning to meet with him personally to discuss issues in Michigan. It wasn’t how it ultimately unfolded.
Instead, she signed several executive orders, including two Justice Department probes seeking the Justice Department probes of officials who served in the first administration, and called him to mistakenly claim that the 2020 election had been stolen. He made the false claims on Wednesday that the election was “equipped” again.
Whitmer was invited to an oval office alongside Republican Michigan Senator Matt Hall, where Trump took reporters and the court into custody and signed an enforcement order. The photo showed Whitmer standing uncomfortable at the door as the camera rolled.
“She did a really great job,” Trump said of Whitmer during the availability of improvised media. “A very nice person.”
The fact that Trump engaged with her on the issues she came to discuss, but existed on bipartisan photography opportunities when she took action targeting political critics is an anger and confused alliance.
“It’s just a disaster,” praised Whitmer, saying that, like everyone else interviewed for this article, she was recognized for her straightforward anonymity about her day. “I feel like I’m going to remove some of the momentum she had as a politically savvy swing state dem.”
Whitmer’s team quickly moved to contain fallout from within her party and counter criticism.
“The governor was surprised that he was brought to an oval office during President Trump’s press conference without notice of subject matter,” a Whitmer spokesperson said in a statement.
Democrats have long seen Whitmer as one of the more formidable figures in the party. He is the two-term governor of a battlefield state that was almost tapped to become Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020 after winning reelection in landslides and fostering quite a bit of a public profile during the Covid pandemic. Whitmer is a handful of prominent Democratic governors considered a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
However, unlike some of her contemporaries, Whitmer chose to look for a stronger work relationship with Trump in his second term. Trump won her state last fall, and Whitmer considers herself to be on the left side of the central mid-western constituency.
In a Washington speech on Wednesday, Whitmer called for more to cut the deficit in the US. She also opposed “partisan” and said she was “infected and tired of every aspect of our lives.”
“Give hardworking people a fair shot in a decent life,” she said. “And, as President Trump says, let’s take you through the “golden age” of American manufacturing. ”
She broke with Trump at the bigger tariffs he announced last week, partially paused late Wednesday afternoon, describing them as “Triple Wammy: higher costs, less work, more uncertainty.”
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and I can tell you here that there is a place where President Trump and I agree,” she said. “We need to make more things in America – more cars and chips, more steel and ships. We need fair trade.”
Her stance on tariffs is at odds with other potential Democratic presidential hopes, such as Police and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro.
After her speech, during a question-and-answer session with journalist Gretchen Carlson, Whitmer sympathized with many Democrats who don’t want Democrat officials to work with Trump. But she said, “I’m going to make a vow to the people of Michigan and do a lot for the state.”
Whitmer also said she wasn’t “thinking” about how she would handle tariffs that were different from Trump.
The National Democratic strategist said, “It was a massive indictment against Whitmer, and that first he had no answers to the tariff questions, went to the White House and played absolutely by Donald Trump, and he signed an order of revenge and retaliation, and was fitted with 2020.”
On tariffs, her spokesman highlighted the area of disagreement with Trump rather than the way the two overlap with policies.
“This morning, the governor gave a speech in Washington, D.C. about the catastrophic impact, which was to raise prices and wipe out retirement accounts from businesses that fire workers. “This afternoon, a 90-day suspension was announced. It’s a step in the right direction, providing relief to so many businesses across the state, but I’m worried about tariffs that will hurt American car companies.”
Whitmer and Hall were to discuss plans to address Trump federal investment at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, the state’s recent devastating ice storm and invasive Asian car in Lake Michigan. Whitmer’s team and her allies described the meeting as a success of those issues.
“Governor Whitmer thanks President Trump for his approval for protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp, working at Selfridges and his openness to seek help in northern Michigan,” her spokesman said.
A Democrat official who worked with Whitmer said he is “very good at defending her state” in dealing with Trump.
“And President Trump is clearly listening to what she says and what she is doing,” the person said. “Today you saw it on tariffs, the progress they made at Selfridges, and other issues she brought about to discuss.”
Whitmer’s Day also provided political nuance. A visit to her oval office did not only bother the Democrats. Republicans complained that it was an unnecessary boost for leaders who have long tried to demonstrate on key election battlefields.
A Michigan Republican strategist said, “Trump literally says Michigan Republicans do a great job.” “I mean, WTF, she’s running to replace him in 2028.”
The relationship between budding Trump and Whitmer – Wednesday’s meeting was the second time in less than two months, but it would have been unthinkable before. Trump is prominently thought in his political memoir Whitmer, released last year, and the long-standing feud between them has been a major part of the first chapter: “Don’t let the bully take you down.”
Whitmer wrote about how Trump responded to criticism of his leadership early in the pandemic and how he responded to criticism of his leadership by branding her negatively as a “woman from Michigan.” Whitmer and her team embraced the insulting sobriquette, which has become a staple of progressive merchandising.
“It’s the secret to dealing with bullies. You take their weapons and use it as your shield,” Whitmer writes. “Every time Trump gave me a nickname, I made it my own.”
That history had some observers suffering from cognitive dissonance on Wednesday.
“Whitmer hurt his candidacy today,” the Democratic strategist said. “She seemed nervous and tense in the oval office. The visuals stick. Trump’s image praises her when he signs an executive order targeting his critics.”
The second democratic operative who worked with Whitmer said her speech today felt like an “opening salvo” for the presidential bid.
“There’s something like this absolutism among Democrats who don’t oppose him, right?” the person said. “And if you’re a Midwest governor, I think there’s certainly a good time for tariffs.”
This person was surprised by the pushback he got from police after her address. However, the person was also confused by the arrival of Whitmer’s oval office.
“Overall, it didn’t seem big,” the person said. “The photo of her standing in the corner looks uncomfortable. It’s a strange joke. The whole thing didn’t make much sense. Why did that happen? Who was that thinking?”
Still, the person said Whitmer, who pledged to work across the aisles, including Trump, could bring results to her state.
However, nationwide, conversations about her visits are very different.
“Overall, hey, great visit, right?” the person went on to rattle down the local issues Whitmer had done to discuss. “It felt sacred — what happened?”
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