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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a high-profile figure in the Democratic Party who has faced scrutiny over several recent public appearances with Donald Trump, defended her meetings with the president and said she was putting her constituents above her political interests.
In an interview with the podcast “Pod Save America” released Thursday, Whitmer pointed to her success in securing federal funding for a new jet mission for an Air National Guard base in Michigan, which she said her meetings with Trump focused on.
“So this is a BFD and I’m glad that we got over the finish line,” she said, using the abbreviation for “big f---ing deal.”
“It doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned any of my values. It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to stand my ground and fight where we have to,” Whitmer said. “But this is one of those moments where as a public servant, you’re reminded your job is to put service above self, and that’s what it was all about.”
Last month, as Democratic lawmakers were publicly condemning Trump over his tariffs and his immigration policies, Whitmer made several appearances alongside Trump that were widely covered by the media. Some of the images that came out of those meetings were fiercely derided: Whitmer was pictured covering her face with folders when photographers spotted her in the Oval Office after she stood in the background as he signed several executive orders, and she was seen greeting Trump with a hug at a Michigan air base weeks later. Some of Whitmer’s supporters back home praised the deal she struck with Trump, but not all Michigan Democrats were thrilled by the optics of her cooperating with the administration. The criticism of her apparent warm relationship with Trump — which was once incredibly acrimonious — underscores the tricky position some Democrats are in as they seek to oppose the policies of an administration that they still need to work with. And as a potential 2028 presidential contender, Whitmer is in an even more delicate situation.
In the interview with “Pod Save America,” Whitmer spoke out against Trump’s policies at times, calling his refusal to abide by a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. “unconscionable” and saying that she believed the country was in a “constitutional crisis.” But she largely stressed that her priorities lay with her state.
“You know, it is not easy to navigate these times,” she said, “but one of the things that I’ve learned is I’ve got to put the people in Michigan first over my self-interest, over maybe what people assume are going to be my political interests.”