Michigan Democratic Gov. Whitmer Strays From Her Party In Moving Closer To Trump

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered a speech emphasizing points of agreement with President Donald Trump on economic policy, just hours before their scheduled meeting - a reflection of the high-profile Democrat's more diplomatic approach toward the president as her party ramps up its attacks on him.

Framed by Whitmer as a "blueprint for success," her lengthy "Build, America, Build" address called for bipartisan cooperation to boost American manufacturing. While she offered soft criticism of the president, she also underscored shared priorities.

"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," said Whitmer, before adding, "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."

The address, rescheduled from last week due to severe ice storms in northern Michigan, came ahead of her second one-on-one meeting with Trump in less than a month, in addition to a dinner at the White House where she sat next to him.

Wednesday's meeting follows Trump's announcement of new tariffs expected to disproportionately affect Michigan, whose economy is closely tied to an auto industry reliant on trade with Canada, Mexico and other countries. She added that she would also be meeting with members of Trump's Cabinet, and she planned to discuss the impact of tariffs.