Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) voiced agreement with some of President Trump’s trade policies during a speech from Washington on Wednesday, but warned against his use of sweeping tariffs.
“These last few days have been tough for Michigan,” Whitmer said, noting the state’s automobile industry and international border with Canada.
“People are struggling after years of inflation and wages that just won’t keep up. They want a government focused on lowering the cost-of-living. Instead, what they’re getting is the opposite,” she said. “Less money in their pockets and more doubts about their future paychecks. Critical government services getting defunded as they’re needed most.”
Trump’s trade war intensified on Wednesday after China announced a new 50 percent tariff on U.S. exports, bringing its total new tariff on U.S. goods to 84 percent. The European Union also announced 25 percent tariffs on a wide range of U.S. products on Wednesday.
The president has dug in on his tariff stance despite disagreements within the administration and the Republican Party over the issue.
Whitmer noted there was still room for agreement on Trump.
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and here’s where President Trump and I do agree. We do need to make more stuff in America, more cars and chips, more steel and ships. We do need fair trade,” she said.
She added that “bringing good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back home” needs to be done right.
“As I’ve said before, I’m not against tariffs outright, but they are a blunt tool. You can’t just bust out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clearly defined end-goal,” she said.
Whitmer was originally scheduled to deliver the remarks earlier this month, but had to postpone her visit to respond to a wave of ice storms in northern Michigan.
Whitmer has served as Michigan governor since 2019 and is term-limited. However, she has been floated as a potential 2028 presidential contender. Whitmer hails from a swing state Trump flipped in November, but Democrats have performed successfully at the state level during her tenure as governor.
