Leftists are fuming. They can’t believe one of their own went against the party.
And a top Democrat betrays their party by doing this one thing with Donald Trump.
Whitmer’s White House Misstep Sparks Democratic Backlash
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer found herself in hot water with fellow Democrats after an unexpected appearance alongside President Donald Trump at a White House signing ceremony. The moment, which caught many in her party off guard, has led to sharp criticism and accusations that she was maneuvered into serving as a political “prop” for the president.
“It was just a f—ing disaster,” fumed one Democratic operative, a usual Whitmer supporter, who spoke candidly to NBC News on condition of anonymity. “It feels like it stalls the energy she’s built as a sharp, swing-state Democrat.”
Whitmer had traveled to Washington for what her team expected to be a low-key, private discussion with Trump on Wednesday. Instead, she found herself awkwardly positioned to the side as the president signed a series of executive orders aimed at investigating two first-term aides who had publicly criticized his decisions.
While Whitmer didn’t support many of the orders, her presence near the iconic Resolute Desk created an impression of alignment—an image that quickly rankled Democrats.
This was a “huge embarrassment,” said CNN senior reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere, pointing to the optics of the scene. CNN host Audie Cornish was even more direct, stating, “This does not look like the politics of resistance.”
Dovere went further, suggesting Trump’s team orchestrated the moment, noting, “She [Governor Whitmer] went for this meeting with the president, and he used her as a prop.”
The episode has cast a shadow over Whitmer’s carefully cultivated image as a rising star in the Democratic Party. Her discomfort was compounded when Trump, during the event, showered her with praise, calling her a “very good person” who had done “an excellent job” leading Michigan. For many Democrats, the moment felt like a betrayal of the party’s combative stance toward the administration.
Despite the criticism, Whitmer and Trump have found common ground on select issues. The two have collaborated to secure the future of Selfridge Air Force Base near Detroit, ensuring its funding and operations continue.
They’ve also teamed up to address an invasive fish species threatening the Great Lakes’ ecosystem. At the signing ceremony, Trump framed these efforts as “bipartisan,” even joking about a future ribbon-cutting where “we’ll all stand there together and cut a ribbon. Okay, Gretchen?”
Whitmer’s team scrambled to limit the damage, issuing a statement clarifying that she was ushered into the room “without any notice” and stressing that her presence was “not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made” during the event. But the fallout continued to reverberate.
Earlier that day, Whitmer had already raised eyebrows with remarks that seemed to strike a conciliatory tone toward Trump’s polarizing tariff policies. In a speech, she said, “I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and I can tell you here’s where President Trump and I do agree. We do need to make more stuff in America.”
She highlighted the importance of bolstering U.S. manufacturing in industries like automobiles, steel, and semiconductors—comments that aligned her, at least partially, with Trump’s economic rhetoric.
While Whitmer later tempered her remarks, cautioning against using “the tariff hammer to swing at every problem,” her words stood in contrast to the sharper critiques from other prominent Democrats, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, both of whom have firmly rejected Trump’s economic approach.
For some, her comments fueled doubts about her political judgment at a time when the 2028 Democratic presidential race is already simmering.
The day’s events have left Democrats questioning Whitmer’s instincts, particularly as she navigates her role as a swing-state leader with national ambitions.
For now, the Michigan governor faces the challenge of rebuilding trust within her party while managing the delicate balance of working across the aisle.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
