Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is navigating tricky political terrain in her working relationship with President Trump ahead of a potential 2028 presidential bid.
Whitmer was the target of criticism from both the left and right for her White House visit with Trump last week, in which her staff said she was surprised to be brought into the Oval Office during the president’s press conference.
The New York Times published a photo of her in the room appearing to cover her face with folders during the press event, garnering ridicule on both sides of the aisle.
Trump notably praised Whitmer during the presser, saying he was “honored” to host her at the White House.
“She’s really done an excellent job and is a really good person,” the president told reporters, marking a contrast from his 2020 criticism of Whitmer as “the woman in Michigan.”
But others were less enthused. Whitmer faced criticism online for the visit, including from some Michigan Democrats.
Michigan state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D) wrote on X that “appeasement and ass kissing bullies and dictators is not a strategy,” while the state’s Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) wrote “appeasement is not a workable strategy with a fascist.” Neither mentioned Whitmer by name.
Friday’s events underscore the challenging political position Whitmer faces as the governor of a quintessential purple state, which she and Trump have both won.
One national Democratic strategist noted that it was time for Whitmer’s critics online and in the media “to go outside and touch grass,” while a Michigan Democratic operative said it was “the election bro-commentariat that was really fired up” following the Oval Office meeting.
Whitmer was in Washington to deliver the third installment in a series of speeches on bipartisanship. The governor met with Trump following the speech to discuss funding for Selfridge Air National Guard Base and aid for those impacted by an ice storm. The visit coincidentally overlapped with the upheaval over Trump’s tariffs.
Michigan-based Democratic strategist Adrian Hemond noted that some of the optics from Whitmer’s meeting with Trump were “unfortunate,” but said ultimately she is “doing her job.”
“Overall she’s been reasonably effective at at least developing a relationship with the guy,” Hemond said. “The proof’s obviously in the pudding. If she can deliver on one of the things that she was talking on camera with the president about, that would go a long way.”
Republicans also point out that it behooves Whitmer and other Democratic governors to meet with Trump from a governing and political perspective. The governor was at the White House with the state’s House Speaker Matt Hall (R), who presides over the GOP’s majority in the state House.
“She obviously needs to be seen with the president to help with the political capital to govern with Republicans in the state House and the state Senate up [in 2026],” said one Michigan Republican operative, noting that Michigan state House Speaker Matt Hall (R) was also present for the meeting.
Whitmer continued to take a bipartisan tone at the Detroit Economic Club on Monday, where she referenced former Michigan GOP Govs. Rick Snyder and John Engler in a positive light.
The governor acknowledged that she took a lot of heat for the Oval Office visit in an episode of Reshma Saujani’s “My So-Called Midlife” podcast.
“What do you do? Do you make a scene? Well that doesn’t help the people of Michigan. Do you walk out? That doesn’t help the people of Michigan. So I stood there,’ Whitmer said on Monday. “I’ve gotten a lot of heat for it but I had to ask for help for the people of Michigan.”
Whitmer is not the only Democratic governor to meet with Trump on his turf during his second administration. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) traveled to Washington earlier this year to appeal to Trump and lawmakers on Capitol Hill in the wake of the state’s deadly wildfires. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) met with Trump last month, in what her office called “a productive meeting on a number of issues including congestion pricing and tariffs.
“Governor Whitmer and Democratic governors across the country are doing what they’ve always done as strong and successful state executives: working with anyone to get real results for their states while also standing up against policies that harm their residents,” said Sam Newton, communications director at the Democratic Governors Association.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel echoed this sentiment, referencing Whitmer’s motto, “Get s— done.”
“Governor Whitmer has proved time and again that she’s never given up on her Democratic values and is always willing to do what it takes to get shit done for Michiganders,” Hertel said in a statement. “Leadership means showing up and advocating for our great state to bring jobs and relief to countless families in every corner of the state, and Governor Whitmer is walking the walk.”
Whitmer has maintained a high approval rating in the state despite Trump flipping the state in last year’s presidential election.
According to a poll released earlier this month by Lansing, Mich.-based public relations firm Marketing Resource Group showed Whitmer with a 57 percent approval and 33 percent disapproval rating. The same poll showed Trump with a 42 percent approval rating and a 51 percent disapproval rating.
Whitmer has repeatedly been floated as a potential 2028 presidential contender. Many Democrats argue her bipartisan rhetoric and vision would play well in a general election. Meanwhile, Democrats and even some Republicans are skeptical the events of Thursday’s Oval Office meeting will be more than a blip ahead of 2028, if Whitmer were to launch a bid.
“I would love to say yes it’s so bad, but two things — one, it’s not even ’26 yet. There’s an entire election between now and whatever her ambitions are,” the unnamed Republican operative said.
What remains unclear, however, is how Whitmer’s bipartisan vision will play in a Democratic primary.
“The bases of both parties are unforgiving of bipartisan cooperation,” said Michigan Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe. “It’s hard for me to imagine that the Democratic base is going to let the leash run very long for ambitious Democratic politicians.”
