Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Trump told her he would not pardon men convicted in kidnapping plot

Washington Post

2 days ago

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says President Donald Trump would be going back on his word to her if he pardoned two men who are serving prison sentences for leading a 2020 plot to kidnap her .
Whitmer , a Democrat, told Michigan Public Radio on Thursday that Trump asked her about a month ago how she would feel if he pardoned the two men.
'I said, 'I think it would be the wrong decision,'' Whitmer recounted. 'I would oppose it and he said, 'OK, I'll drop it.''
Whitmer, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, recounted the conversation one day after Trump said he was considering a pardon for the men, saying, 'I will take a look at it. It's been brought to my attention.'
The Republican president said he followed the men's trial and 'it looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job.' He said the men 'were drinking and I think they said stupid things.'
The U.S. Justice Department's new pardon attorney also said this month he would take a 'hard look' at pardoning Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox .
Croft, 49, and Fox, 42, were portrayed as leaders of the kidnapping scheme. They were convicted of conspiracy in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2022. Croft, a trucker from Delaware, was also found guilty of a weapons charge.
Croft was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison, while Fox, a Grand Rapids man, got a 16-year term. They are being held at a prison in Colorado — the most secure in the federal system.
Whitmer later told an audience following a speech at the Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference that she plans to talk to Trump again about the pardoning matter.
'We have an ongoing dialogue now ... very different from the first term,' she said about Trump and turned to smile at the audience.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Whitmer's remarks.
Whitmer and Trump clashed publicly during his first term, with Trump referring to her as ' that woman from Michigan .' She has blamed Trump for the political anger that motivated the plot to kidnap her right before the 2020 presidential election.
Whitmer also hinted Thursday at anger over the possibility of pardons, saying she was disappointed to hear the news he was considering it.
'No one should hesitate to condemn political violence,' she said, noting the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last year.
Whitmer has faced scrutiny from some Democrats for taking a more collaborative approach to the Trump administration in his second term.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who has criticized Whitmer for working with and appearing with Trump, said releasing the convicted men is 'no laughing matter.'
'The reward you get for cozying up to Trump is him threatening to pardon the terrorists who plotted to kidnap and murder you,' she said on social media .
Whitmer's collaboration with Trump has come with several awkward moments for her this year, including when she was unexpectedly in the Oval Office during a press conference as Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate two former members of his previous administration who had publicly criticized him.
Their new dynamic also led to some wins for her administration, including securing new jets at a military airbase in Michigan and a commitment from Trump to fund a project to protect Lake Michigan from invasive carp .