Well, well — look who’s warming up to Trump’s “America First” playbook.
Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, long seen as a rising star in her party and a potential 2028 contender, made headlines Wednesday by breaking ranks with the left’s usual disdain for President Trump’s trade policies. In a speech delivered in Washington titled “Build, America, Build,” Whitmer acknowledged that Trump’s hardline tariff strategy actually makes sense — a sentence we never thought would come out of a Democrat’s mouth, let alone one floated for national office.
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs,” she said. “And I can tell you, here’s where President Trump and I do agree—we do need to make more stuff in America. More cars and chips. More steel and ships.” That line alone could’ve been pulled from a Trump rally script — all that was missing was the MAGA hat.
https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1910342550461784478
Whitmer’s speech came just hours before President Trump signed a sweeping new executive order reworking the nation’s tariff structure. Most countries will now see a 90-day pause on new tariffs, but the big hammer came down on China: 125% tariffs on their imports, and an additional 20% on fentanyl-linked products, bringing the total to a crushing 145%. Predictably, China lost its mind and hit back with 84% tariffs of their own, crying “economic bullying” while still soaking up U.S. dollars and shipping us counterfeit meds.
But the real shocker wasn’t overseas — it was right there in the White House. Whitmer not only attended a bipartisan Oval Office meeting with Trump, but she received an unusually warm welcome from the man she once sparred with on everything from COVID lockdowns to election integrity.
“We’re honored to have Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan,” Trump said. “She’s really done an excellent job, very good person.”
For context, this is the same Gretchen Whitmer who was once on the top of Trump’s “total disaster” list. Yet there she stood, just feet away, as Trump signed memoranda directing the DOJ to investigate political adversaries and launched a new executive order targeting a law firm he’s publicly clashed with.
Whitmer’s office later scrambled to clarify she had no idea what she was walking into — classic damage control. But let’s be real: when a Democrat stands next to Trump and praises tariffs, the message is loud and clear.
Whether it’s strategy or sincerity, one thing is certain — the Trump trade agenda is setting the tone. And even Democrats are starting to sing along.
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