HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Michigan — President Donald Trump put his politics aside to praise Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), a potential 2028 presidential candidate, for helping him save Michigan‘s Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
“You know, I’m not supposed to do it. She’s a Democrat. They said, ‘Don’t have her here.’ I said, ‘No, she’s going to be here,’” Trump said Tuesday during an event on the base in Harrison Township. “She’s done a very good job, frankly, and she was very much involved with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it, and it was not easy. So I want to thank you very much, Gretchen. Good job.”
Whitmer initially declined Trump’s request to speak but later thanked the president for his support in recapitalizing the base on the 100th day of his second administration.
“Well, I hadn’t planned to speak, but I’m on behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country and serve so honorably on behalf of the State of Michigan, I am really damn happy we’re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,” she said. “It’s crucial for the Michigan economy, it’s crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security, and our future. So thank you.”
Whitmer greeted Trump upon his arrival at the base amid windy conditions, with the president having to hold on to his red “Gulf of America” baseball cap. The governor then shook Trump’s hand again in a nearby plane hangar before the pair addressed a group of roughly 250 guardsmen.
“After years of hard work, we’ve secured a new fighter squadron to protect operations at Selfridge Air National Guard Base for decades to come,” Whitmer posted on social media. “That means jobs, a stronger economy, and a bright, lasting, and secure future for Selfridge and the entire state of Michigan.”
Whitmer’s appearance alongside Trump came weeks after a photo of her attempting to shield herself from photographers in the White House‘s Oval Office went viral. The governor was in Washington, D.C., seeking recovery aid for Michigan after an ice storm, but could not depart before the president started an executive order signing ceremony.
“I got stuck in this press conference, and I disagreed with all the actions that were taken, all the rhetoric that was stated, but I had to stay to ask for help for Michigan,” she told the Los Angeles Times last weekend.
Whitmer also told the Detroit Economic Club that she regretted putting a folder in front of her face since it encouraged the photo to go viral.
THE DEMOCRATS IN PRIME POSITION TO BE FACE OF THE PARTY IN 2028
Ahead of an open 2028 Democratic primary race, Whitmer is adopting a bipartisan approach to Trump that can be compared to the more adversarial approach of Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), who last weekend told the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner that “Republicans cannot know a moment of peace.”
“They have to understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have,” Pritzker said. “We must castigate them on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box.”