“We’re honored to have Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, the great State of Michigan, and she’s been, she’s really done an excellent job, a very good person,” President Trump said during a surprise appearance alongside the Democratic governor during a press conference in the Oval Office.
The praise caught many by surprise, including Whitmer’s own team. Her spokesperson later said she had been “surprised she was brought into the Oval Office” and emphasized that she was given “no advance notice” that she would be appearing publicly with the president.
While Whitmer’s presence raised eyebrows, her team was quick to clarify that “her presence is not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made at that event.” Still, the governor’s appearance and Trump’s unexpected compliment stood in stark contrast to the tense relationship he’s had with many other Democratic leaders.
Whitmer, who has emerged as a potential Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential race, continues to downplay any presidential ambitions. Nevertheless, with her second and final term as governor ending in 2026, many see her as a rising figure in the party. She’s built a reputation for winning tough elections in a state that Trump carried twice and has positioned herself as a pragmatic voice focused on jobs, manufacturing, and infrastructure issues that resonate deeply in the industrial Midwest.
In her remarks, Whitmer focused on what she called “shared priorities,” particularly the importance of rebuilding America’s manufacturing base and supporting working families. That approach set her apart from other Democratic governors considered potential 2028 contenders, such as Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Colorado’s Jared Polis, who have strongly criticized Trump’s tariff policies, calling them a hidden tax on American households.
Whitmer’s remarks were carefully framed to highlight bipartisan goals rather than partisan differences. By acknowledging areas of agreement particularly on domestic production and workforce development she presented herself as someone capable of working across the aisle without fully embracing Trump’s broader agenda.
Trump’s praise for Whitmer came on a day when he also signed off on a series of controversial directives, including opening federal investigations into two of his former top aides from his first term: Miles Taylor and Chris Krebs. Trump accused Taylor of fraud and Krebs of treason, later revoking their security clearances while repeating false claims about the 2020 election.
Though Whitmer did not comment on those actions, her appearance at the event and Trump’s public praise gave her an unusual moment of prominence and bipartisan recognition on the national stage.