A 'disaster': Gretchen Whitmer's talk on tariffs and meeting with Trump anger fellow Democrats
Gretchen Whitmer became governor after promising to “fix the damn roads” in Michigan.
Gretchen Whitmer became governor after promising to “fix the damn roads” in Michigan.
Whether she goes any further depends on how well she can navigate some of the early bumps surfacing as she positions herself for a possible White House bid.
On Wednesday, during a trip to Washington, D.C., that put a spotlight on her prospects in 2028, Whitmer hit what many of her fellow Democrats saw as two sizable potholes.
First, in a policy speech outlining a “consistent national strategy,” Whitmer staked out common ground with President Donald Trump. And though Whitmer criticized Trump’s sweeping, roller-coaster rollout of — and subsequent retreat from — tariffs, she said she was not against tariffs “outright” and expressed understanding of Trump’s “motivation” behind deploying them. That drew a social media rebuke from Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis.
“Tariffs are bad outright because they lead to higher prices and destroy American manufacturing,” Polis, another potential 2028 contender who has also sought ways to find common cause with Trump, wrote on X. “Trade is inherently good because both parties emerge better off from a consensual transaction.”
Rating: 5