WASHINGTON AP - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the toll tariffs are taking on the auto industry and the potential effects of his tax and spending bill on Medicaid.
It's the latest in a string of meetings between the Democratic governor and the Republican president after the two frequently clashed during his first term. In his second term, Whitmer has adopted a more diplomatic approach, drawing some backlash from fellow Democrats. But it's also resulted in multiple wins for Whitmer's state, including Trump's approving 50 million in storm relief and awarding a new fighter jet mission for an Air National Guard base in the state.
"I've always said that I'll work with anyone to get things done for Michigan," Whitmer, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said in a statement Tuesday. "That's why I've continued to go to Washington, D.C., to make sure that Michiganders are front and center when critical decisions are being made."
The private meeting between Whitmer and Trump - which a White House official would not confirm but did stress Trump's continued focus on Michigan - marks a rare instance of the president sitting with a leading Democratic figure.
In recent weeks, Trump attacked Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, telling him to "go to hell," while also taking aim at other high-profile Democratic governors who have pushed back on some of his policies, including California's Gavin Newsom and Illinois' JB Pritzker, also considered possible 2028 candidates.