In quite a departure from their past interactions, President Trump praised Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during an Oval Office appearance Wednesday. Whitmer, a Democrat who has previously traded barbs with Trump, was at the White House for a meeting with the president to discuss tariffs following a speech she gave in DC advocating for bipartisan cooperation to boost US manufacturing. Her office later said in a statement that she was "surprised" to have been taken into the Oval Office, and that "her presence is not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made at that event." Trump, who was signing executive orders that took aim at his political opponents as Whitmer "stood awkwardly" looking on, per the AP, said the governor was a "very good person" and has done an "excellent job."
Whitmer is one of a number of Democratic governors considered potential 2028 presidential contenders, but she's taking a more measured tone toward Trump in his second term than she did during his first, unlike governors including California's Gavin Newsom, Illinois' JB Pritzker, and Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro. "I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and I can tell you, here's where President Trump and I do agree," she said earlier Wednesday at her speech. "We do need to make more stuff in America. I'm not against tariffs outright, but it is a blunt tool. You can't just pull out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clear defined end-goal." Some Democrats were unhappy with pretty much the entirety of Whitmer's speech Wednesday, NBC News reports, with sources telling the outlet they believe Trump essentially used her as a prop. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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