Michigan Gov. Whitmer says Trump agreed not to pardon kidnapping plotters
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said President Donald Trump previously told her that he wouldn't pardon the men convicted of plotting to kidnap her in 2020, despite him telling reporters on Wednesday he would consider it.
The men charged in the case conspired to kidnap the Democratic governor from a vacation home and blow up a bridge to delay law enforcement but were arrested first, authorities said. Eight men were charged on the state level and another six were indicted on federal charges in 2020. Ultimately, nine were convicted or pleaded guilty in the case, and five were acquitted.
Whitmer's comments come after Trump's response to a question Wednesday on whether he had plans to pardon the men. 'I'm going to look at it,' Trump said in the Oval Office.
'It's been brought to my attention. I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job. I'll be honest with you, it looked to me like some people said some stupid things,' Trump said. 'You know, they were drinking, and I think they said stupid things, but I'll take a look at that. And a lot of people are asking me that question from both sides. Actually, a lot of people think they got railroaded. A lot of people think they got railroaded.'
Whitmer, whose dynamic with Trump has appeared to shift from adversarial in his first term to more amicable during his second, said Trump would be going back on his word if he granted the pardons.
'I talked to the President about a month ago, and he asked me how I'd feel about this. And I said 'I think it would be the wrong decision. I would oppose it.' And he said 'okay, I'll drop it.' Now, we see this revelation. So, I'm not sure how to process it,' Whitmer told Michigan Public Radio on Thursday.
Whitmer said she condemned violence when Trump was injured last year after a shooting at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
'I will just point out that when the man shot at the president when he was on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, I was one of the first office holders on either side of the aisle to condemn it,' Whitmer said. 'Because anything short of condemnation creates a dangerous space for people that are sworn an oath to do the work of the public. We don't take up arms and harm one another.'
When asked if she thinks Trump is serious about pardoning the men, Whitmer said, 'I don't know. When I talked to him before, we had a thoughtful conversation about it, and he said he'd drop it. So, I'm not sure what to make of this new revelation, but I will be reaching out over the weekend.'
Her comments come as Trump has issued a slew of pardons to individuals with ties to his political allies.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told CNN's Erin Burnett on Thursday that Trump is 'not a good faith actor.'
'You can't count on the president to keep his word. And if Governor Whitmer thinks that his promise alone will be enough, then unfortunately, I got a bridge to sell her,' Nessel said. 'And, you know, this is dangerous. The thought of pardoning people under these circumstances. These are domestic terrorists.'
Trump criticized Whitmer in 2020, claiming she didn't thank him after authorities announced they foiled a plot to kidnap her while falsely claiming she called him a 'White Supremacist.'
'My Justice Department and Federal Law Enforcement announced today that they foiled a dangerous plot against the Governor of Michigan. Rather than say thank you, she calls me a White Supremacist,' Trump said in a social media post at the time.
The two have recently appeared friendlier toward one another; the president publicly complimented her during a recent trip to Michigan. Prior to that visit, Whitmer visited the White House earlier in April with a bipartisan delegation to discuss a laundry list of issues affecting her state, where Trump briefly lauded her during remarks in the Oval Office.
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