Gov Whitmer gets schooled by Trump-Dems be warned

[kansasobama]

Gov. Whitmer tried her "I agree with some of Trump tariffs but" approach and got slapped on her face

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/disaster-gretchen-whitmers-talk-tariffs-meeting-trump-anger-fellow-dem-rcna200530

Some Dems still do not get it. What is it about total opposition that these Dems don't understand. We see this with Schumer, Durbin and others. Slotkin 's response to Trump address talked more about Reagan and Bush than about Dems

Do these ass kissing Dems don't get it? MAGA GOP is not your old Constitution loving GOP. Trump made Whitmer stand by him as he signed executive orders after orders and her presence gave the photo op of bipartisanship.

"I understand why you voted for Trump but" approach does not work. Hello Dems, fight like Jasmine from Texas

[Autumn]

1. I thought she was a lot smarter than that.

[kansasobama]

3. Some of these Dems from 2024 Trump states are weak

By the way, when a Dem is a President, GOP does not care. Even Dems from close blue states were pressured by McConnell. This weakness applies to only Dems. Look at Fetterman.

[xocetaceans]

24. Please listen to her speech instead of taking clickbait headlines as a correct analysis. ...

Her statements are not nearly what that article makes them out to be. They have just picked out some keywords like "tariff" and "agree" and are running with that quote-mining-related method, seemingly in an attempt to capitalize on the desire for Democrats to fight back on all fronts. To avoid such a hit piece as that article seems to be, her policy speech would have had to eliminate any rational discussion of policy issues.

Anyway, you might disagree with my comments after listening to her speech, but it does not come across (to me, anyway) in the manner which that article paints it.

Here is the speech:

[Hekate]

26. They're not listening, are they? They pick up on the narrative that our best Dem politicians are stoopid...

They run with clickbait from trash sources. Next thing you know, no other opinion will be tolerated.

Weird how such a politically-educated discussion board has people who can’t discern the difference between a Congressional Representative who can say whatever they want, and the Governor of a large and complex State such as Michigan or California.

[aocommunalpunch]

37. She said herself

She is not the leader of the opposition. What else do we need to know?

[Autumn]

39. I've listened to her. I'm disappointed that she met with that orange piece of shit knowing what he does.

I had no fucking problem with her speech. Maybe you should try to read the article and see why people are disappointed. He fucking sandbagged her.

She was scheduled to meet privately with him and discuss Michigan issues. That wasn’t how it ultimately played out.

Instead, she stood by as he signed several executive orders, including two calling for Justice Department probes of officials who served in his first administration and called him out for falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen. He made the false claims about the election’s being “rigged” again Wednesday.
Whiterr was invited into the Oval Office alongside Michigan state House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, as Trump held court with reporters and signed the executive orders. Photos showed Whitmerr standing uncomfortably against a door as the cameras rolled.

[Autumn]

41. The OP is not about her speech, which was good. The OP is about her meeting with the orange sack of shit

and him sandbagging her.

[thought crime]

48. She's on the front line

She’s a governor of a state that voted for trump, and is home to the auto-industry. It’s got to be pretty tough and difficult to navigate right now. Trump knows that and set the trap. And he likes to use women as props and to humiliate them. Remember how he used Elizabeth Warren’s “claim” to be Native American? Magaloons love that kind of baiting.

Watch out for the double standard where trump gets to make a fool of himself in front of the entire world three days a week and his supporters just dismiss it every time, while a Democratic or progressive leader slips up once and is written off and completely defined by one mistake. Don't let them do this to us.

[Autumn]

49. Double standard? There is no double standard. Trumps people like it when he uses them.

Democratic womenshould not put themselves on a position to be used by him. He and his maggats will go after her anyway. When the fuck hasn't he?

You have your opinion, I have mine.

[MayReasonRule]

2. Hear, Hear!!

[tman]

4. This is what desperately trying to position yourself for 2028 does.

We saw it with Newsom.

lol

[Bengus81]

15. Another face plant for 28!

See ya later Whitmer....................

[Hotler]

5. You either stand for democracy or you stand for fascism, there is NO in between, NO middle ground. nt

[Tadpole Raisin]

6. She was supposed to meet with him privately as I understand it.

He conned her. Fair warning to any other democrat as if you needed more proof, that he will con anyone and make you stand there and take it. I have only a tiny bit of sympathy for her but she should have politely excited.

Get it dems?!

[BeyondGeography]

8. Instead she ends up shoved in a corner of the Oval while he's signing 2020 election-related grievance EO's

Humiliation is ALWAYS part of the program.

[llmart]

16. He did the same thing to Romney.

I remember a picture of them together somewhere eating dinner? (not sure about that) Romney thought if he kissed up to him he'd get something politically. We all know how that turned out.

[Marcuse]

54. Mitt thought he was going to be Secretary of State. Trump strung him along.

[Scubamatt]

7. In 2001 . . .

George W. Bush positioned the issue of the war against Iraq as "You're either with us or you're against us." The public LOVED him for it, NOT because he was right, but because he APPEARED strong and principled. I hate to use this as an example because the attack on Iraq was in fact misguided, if not a war crime. But Bush's posturing worked. Most people just can't/won't do nuance. We need strong leaders who will clearly (and accurately) paint the picture of this being a clear issue of right vs. wrong; democracy vs. fascism. Whitmer did herself and us no favors.

[markodochartaigh]

9. "...clearly

(and accurately) paint the picture of this being a clear issue of right vs. wrong; democracy vs. fascism."

Very good. I think that it is a mistake for Democratic politicians to think moving right will attract significant numbers of Republican voters. The way that Democratic politicians can win in most areas is to keep Democratic voters motivated and energize unengaged voters who aren't bothering to vote. Education is key with these groups, even though education will mostly bounce off the reich-wing bubble in which Republicans live.

[GoreWon2000]

17. This has been the problem since 2000

Most Congressional dems acted like the 2000 election was normal when it wasn't and then they proceeded to bow to SCOTUS appointed W like he was the 2nd coming of Christ. They continue to act like wishy washy wimps and still don't understand the dire threat that our country has been facing for 25 years.

[Polybius]

19. I really wish that Gore didn't concede right after that infamous 5-4 ruling

I sure as hell wouldn't have, even though it probably wouldn't have changed things.

[GoreWon2000]

23. He had no other choice

Having spent 15 of my 24 years working on dem election campaigns in Florida, I know well what happened there. The actual facts show that everyone else on the dem side had abandoned him. Senate dems had the chance to co-sponsor the Congressional Black Caucus's challenge to the fraudulent Florida vote count and they all refused to do so. Then DNC chair Ed Rendell very publicly urged him to give up his fight to have the uncounted Florida votes counted despite Florida election law clearly requiring that the uncounted votes be counted..

[SunSeeker]

33. Ug, I did not know that about Rendell. nt

[GoreWon2000]

45. Rendell one of many who dropped the ball

[Cirsium]

10. Disappointing

Bank-to-the-drawing-board disappointing here in Michigan. Slotkin, Peters, now Whitmer. So much talk about how we must support Democratic politicians. What about when they undermine us? We can't defend this Republican lite bs on the ground. They are ripping the heart out of the opposition to MAGA when they do this third way crap.

[Historic NY]

11. Big Gretch should have stayed home, because she got played

[Mr. Evil]

20. And anyone that gets played that easily

is definitely not presidential material.

[calimary]

28. Man, THAT'S for sure!

Played by trump today means you may well get played by the Russians or the Chinese. By whoever is the biggest opposition.

[AllyCat]

12. The people that seemed logical choices for POTUS in '28

(should we be lucky enough to have elections then) are proving their ability to capitulate to a tyrant.

Adding her to a growing list of unsuitable candidates.

[NNadir]

13. We need our young congresswomen AOC, Jasmine etc.

There should be no compromise with pure evil, stupidity and criminality.

I had profound respect for Whitmer, but it's fading.

[xocetaceans]

25. Exactly which part of her speech do you find to be the most egregious?

[SunSeeker]

36. It wasn't just her speech. It was her letting Trump use her for his fascist EO photo op.

By having her stand there in the Oval Office, Trump made it look like she supported those horrific unconstitutional executive orders against Taylor and Krebs he was signing, as if him ordering DOJ investigation of these two truth tellers had bipartisan support. That is why people are so disappointed. She should have walked out. She totally got played.

[xocetaceans]

46. Let's start with the speech, though. One point at a time. What is the part of the speech that was the most egregious...

...if it was at all so?

Skipping over my question to amplify a different point of contention is just dodging my question and assuming that it has been stipulated that there actually was a part of the speech which was contentious. No such stipulation has been made.

[SunSeeker]

47. I think you're confusing me with NNadir--that's who you had directed your question to.

I was not "skipping over" your question. The reason I replied to your question to NNadir about Whitmer's speech is to address what I think is the main reason people are upset with how her White House visit went down, and I think bickering over her speech misses the main point. People are upset because she allowed herself to get played as an Oval Office prop. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/disaster-gretchen-whitmers-talk-tariffs-meeting-trump-anger-fellow-dem-rcna200530

Even Whitmer realized it was a disaster, trying to cover her face from the cameras in this now viral photo from that day:

https://www.newsweek.com/gretchen-whitmer-accused-trying-hide-viral-oval-office-photo-2059183

But if you must know specifically what I personally (I can't speak for NNadir) didn't like about her speech, it is that she was giving Trump way too much credit, and even adopting Trump’s vomitous "Golden Age" talking point (as if him gilding up the Oval Office wasn't bad enough) and the "cut red tape" bullshit.

Let’s cut red tape and unleash the extraordinary potential of American industry. Let’s give more hardworking people a fair shot at a decent life. And let’s usher in, as President Trump says, a “Golden Age” of American manufacturing.
...
Thankfully, Republicans, Democrats, and industry leaders came together to do something about it. During President Trump’s first term, we started a serious national conversation about semiconductor manufacturing. A few years later, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to bring chip manufacturing back home. I’m grateful to so many in our congressional delegation who fought hard to get it across the finish line.

https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2025/04/09/whitmers-build-america-build-address-as-prepared-for-delivery

We didn't lose manufacturing because of "red tape." That is a right wing talking point. We lost manufacturing because workers in other countries are willing to work for pennies on the dollar compared to American workers. And she made it sound like Trump was responsible for the CHIPS Act, but it was one of Biden’s signature achievements. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHIPS_and_Science_Act

In fact, Trump is trying to undermine the CHIPS Act by illegally taking the billions the Act allocated for bringing microchip manufacturing back to the US.

But other than that, her speech was fine. Like I said, her speech was not the main issue.

[xocetaceans]

55. Obviously, you are not NNadir. There is no confusion in that. Dropping in as you did is also obviously fine as is...

...my asking for a (and your) position on the speech. So, why you would suppose that I were confused as to the source of your post is a bit out there as too is the remark on "bickering".

Your point on her being played as a prop for Trump is well taken. She did fall for that, and that is not necessarily a good sign of her staff's intelligence or her political awareness. It would probably be safer for them to assume that everything that Trump says or does is a lie or is designed to be self-serving.

"Red tape" is a common business theme and may well be principally of the right. I don't know that that is the case. It may also be a justification that the right claims cost the country manufacturing, but it seems that you are reading a lot into her speech that is simply not there on that count. Everyone knows that access to cheap labor and the lure of larger markets in places like China is the reason why manufacturing was lost and Tienanmen was ignored.

"Golden Age" clearly aligns with Trump's framing, so it could have been said much better by her and her speechwriters (if she has them and used them for this).

Yes, she did mention that discussions began under Trump. Thanks for the link to the CHIPS Act. Again, everyone here knows that is from Biden's term and that Trump is trying to do a multitude of nefarious things with funding that has already been established.

Ultimately, when the title of the NBC piece prominently and initially states something about "Gretchen Whitmer's talk on tariffs", a reference which is related to her speech, that indicates that the speech is a main component of the "Disaster" as NBC put it. That is just the media being disingenuous regarding her speech, but that is expressed a main point of the article whether you agree or not.

If people aren't specific, it seems as if they have just bought into the media framing in lieu of actually paying attention. So, anyway, thanks for taking the time to make your points regarding the speech and the follow-on situation with her prop-like appearance.

[Sky Jewels]

14. She probably Gavin Newsomed herself out of contention for a presidential nomination down the road.

It's too bad.

[Bengus81]

18. Not to bad that both of them showed their true values very early on.

Let see...kissing ASS on a guy who's MAGA thugs plotted to kill her and her family. My fucking gawd Whitmer!!

[Sky Jewels]

42. You're right.

I’m saddened that she went along with it, but it is good to know these things now rather than later.

[kansasobama]

51. Not Newsome level but weak

No. She did not do a Newsome. However, it was sad to see her get taken for a ride. It looks like she fell into a trap. She should have known you can't give even an inch to the greatest threat to democracy.

[Starbeach]

21. Stupid But Not Fatal

We can't afford to jettison our potential 2028 leaders/nominees so casually.
Anyone stepping forward to lead in these times should be respected for that (whether you support or not).
I think she learned and that's all I need.

[ShazzieB]

22. Wow.

In her Washington speech Wednesday, Whitmer [...] railed against “partisanship,” saying it has seemingly “infected every aspect of our lives, and it’s exhausting.”

Yes, it's exhausting all right, but it's also unavoidable now, because the GOP's allegiance to/fear of Schlump has made it that way! How do you compromise when the other side has taken a completely uncompromising stance dictated by their dear leader and enforced by their fear of what he'll do if they don't go along with every single thing he wants? You can't and you don't!

“Let’s give more hard-working people a fair shot at a decent life,” she said. “And let’s usher in, as President Trump says, a ‘Golden Age’ of American manufacturing.”

Oh, yes, we all know how devoted Schlump is to giving hard-working people a fair shot at a decent life! (Lord, just typing that lie made me feel ill. 🤢 )

Face it, Gretchen, trying to work "with" Schlump isn't going to work, for the simple reason that HE is not interested in working "with" you. He'll pretend otherwise, just to rope you in, but he's going to be plotting behind your back the whole time, and he'll cheerfully stab you in the back whenever he decides it's going to benefit him the most.

Working across the aisle is a nice idea in theory, but it has to be a two way street, with both sides buying in. That can't happen, as long as Schlump is in the driver's seat. It just can't.

[calimary]

30. Repeating your last paragraph, ShazzieB.

“Working across the aisle is a nice idea in theory, but it has to be a two way street, with both sides buying in. That can't happen, as long as Schlump is in the driver's seat. It just can't.”

Yes. THIS.

It HAS TO be a two-way street.

[Paladin]

27. These trump-soft Democrats are complete liabilities, from my standpoint.

Times are way too perilous for our party's leaders to be anything other than virulently anti-trump---every moment of every day, on every issue. Those who don't show up ready for a fight, lose me---probably forever. Whitmer, Newsom, Schumer, Fetterman and the other softies better get their shit together---either that, or hand over their offices to those who are willing to wage war on our behalf. Because that's where things stand now---we're at war, and we cannot afford to lose.

[Mr.Bee]

29. I would also add

don't expect these people to come over the hill like cavalry when trump is finally out.
Did they re-establish the 70% tax rate after Reagan or did they play along to get along?
Or did every Republican sign Grover Norquist's pledge to never raise taxes under any circumstances?
Did they ever go after Bush's war crimes? Water-boarding? Sub-prime mortgage?
And how about trump's first term crimes? His 'democrat-hoax' Covid rant while Americans died.
Or the eight year old American girl 'killed in Yemen raid in 2017.
They're treating his 'executive orders' like kingdom decrees without consent of Congress..
None of this stuff is ever going away...

[EYESORE 9001]

31. This must be the bus

under whose wheels Democrats are thrown for nothing more than clickbait. Tsk tsk.

[DownriverDem]

32. Just stop

attacking my governor. If folks think a far left Dem can win the presidency, they are smoking something funny. Our country won't even vote for a woman and you think far left can win? I'm tired of our side putting up someone who can't win.

[FakeNoose]

35. Yeah, I'll agree with you on that

Women candidates are 0-for-2 and they were BOTH better candidates than Chump. But it didn't seem to matter. I'm old so I can remember back when they used to say that a Black man could never win the Presidency.

I'm still rooting for the Grim Reaper, once Chump is gone we'll have a resumption of sanity in this country (hopefully.)

[aocommunalpunch]

38. She did this to herself.

Criticism of her actions is totally valid.

[Nanjeanne]

53. Far left Dem? I've no idea what that even means except as a R talking point.

[Festivito]

40. NBC allowed to CRAP on Biden and Whitmer.

Biden upped tariff to100% on BYD after Trump had brought it up a little during the Trump term.

If Whitmer "UNDERSTANDS" why one did it, WHAT?, she can't understand why the other did it?

The article makes a one-word quote into expressing the OPPOSITE of what was said.

And they had to go to Colorado to find someone spouting off before enough thought. This is what happened to Al Gore. Repouts had 3 half-truth lies and got a couple of Dems to say, GEE, those sound like things he should not have said. HE DIDN'T.

Dems need to be wary. Beware of people pretending to be your friend.

[90-percent]

43. Fight like jasmin from texas

Or aoc or raskin or whitehead or Warren or Murphy or Blumenthal or pritzker or .......


-90% jimmy

[HereForTheParty]

44. "got slapped on her face" - I doubt you'd say that about a man

I agree with the upshot of the OP but that is a really problematic thing to say.

[kentuck]

50. There is a solution.

Don't meet with him. He will use you as a prop. Just as he did with Bill Maher.

[kansasobama]

52. 100% agree

Yes, Bill Maher, Morning Joe to name a few. They got taken for a ride. Morning Joe is trying to make up for his folly. Fetterman has moved into the White House and sharing the same bed. Schumer always is waiting for the moment. He is the "not yet" type of fighter.