Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) acknowledged that her working relationship with President Donald Trump has been unexpectedly fruitful, even as she remains a prominent Democrat.
According to Mediaite, Whitmer made the remarks while sharing a beer with California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on his podcast, where the two discussed the unusual position Democratic governors occupy with President Trump in the White House. The conversation underscored a political reality many on the left prefer to ignore: results often come from engagement, not resistance theater.
Whitmer recounted campaigning for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race and conceded she didnt know what to expect when President Trump ultimately prevailed. She said she saw an opening during his inauguration when he emphasized manufacturing and auto workers, prompting her to send a handwritten note and her phone number to the Oval Office.
I said, congratulations, you won the election. I noticed you talked about auto workers. If thats something you want to work on, you know, Id love to work with you if you want to help the industry. Heres my number. And he called me. And hes called me a number of times since then, she told Newsom. Newsom observed that both governors have met with President Trump at the White House and that, despite public friction, those sessions have consistently been productive.
Whitmer further conceded that she has secured policy wins with President Trump that eluded her under President Joe Biden. Ive gotten some really good stuff done, honestly. I got a fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard base, and I tried to get that done under the Biden administration, and they didnt get it over the finish line, but I got it done with him, she said. So thats a huge deal to Michigan. So even though I dont like it, I know how to work with people Im not, you know, best friends with, to put it lightly.
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