Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer expressed support for aspects of President Donald Trump’s strict tariff policy during a speech in Washington on Wednesday, indicating a divergence from the Democratic Party’s strong opposition to Trump’s trade agenda.
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs,” Whitmer, viewed as a potential contender for the Democratic nomination in 2028, said. “And I can tell you, 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.” Whitmer’s remarks, delivered during her “Build, America, Build” address just before her second Oval Office meeting with Trump in a month, marked a notable tonal shift. While she stopped short of endorsing every aspect of Trump’s policy, the governor stressed the importance of a bipartisan approach to reinvigorate American manufacturing—especially in key industrial states like Michigan.
However, tariffs on Chinese imports surged to 125%, with an additional 20% duty on fentanyl-linked products, bringing the total to 145%. This prompted a swift and severe backlash from Chinese officials, who retaliated by imposing 84% tariffs on American goods and accusing the United States of economic bullying. Domestically, it was Whitmer’s apparent partial alignment with the Trump administration that made headlines. On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer visited the White House as part of a bipartisan delegation to address key issues affecting her state — including issues that Joe Biden ignored for four years.
What was meant to be a routine meeting took an unexpected turn. Despite their rocky past, Trump offered unexpectedly warm praise for Whitmer at the beginning of his remarks. “We’re honored to have Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, great state of Michigan, and she’s been, she’s really done an excellent job, very good person,” he said.
