Whitmer greets Trump at Selflridge, President says ‘she's done a very good job'
The Brief
President Donald Trump and Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke together on Tuesday at Selfridge.
Trump announced 21 F-15 Eagle II fighter jets would be coming to Michigan to replace retiring A-10s.
Trump said Whitmer was responsible for convincing him to see the need to keep Selfridge.
In a far cry from 'the woman from Michigan', President Donald Trump on Tuesday credited Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing the urgent need of Selfridge Air National Guard Base to his attention as he announced 21 new fighter jets would be coming to the Macomb County air base.
Whitmer met Trump as he exited Air Force One at Selfridge around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Wearing a Michigan National Guard hat, Whitmer shook hands with Trump before the president got into the waiting presidential limousine.
After a short drive, Whitmer and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth entered the hangar at Selfridge first and stood to the side of the podium. A few minutes later, the President was introduce to cheers from the Michigan National Guard.
"Thank you very much. It's an honor to be back in the great state of Michigan. And as you know, we had big victory in Michigan. And, I won't forget it. And I'm not forgetting it. And I'm honored to be here at Selfridge Air National Guard Base with the men and women of the 127th wing of the Michigan Air National Guard," Trump said.
The president then went on to extol the work done by Whitmer to bring the need of Selfridge to his attention. According to Trump, the reason Whitmer traveled to the White House earlier this month was to push for the announcement he was going to make – that 21 F-15 Eagle II fighter jets would be coming to Macomb County to replace the outdated A-10 warthogs.
"I heard about it recently from some people, including your governor, who was, done a very good job. She came to see me. That's the reason she came to see me, by the way, to save Selfridge. And, she was very effective, along with some of the other politicians and some of the military people. They love this place. They love that what it stands for. All the victories they've had here over the years," Trump said.
Whitmer and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall spoke with Trump in April in an Oval Office meeting that surprised many people after the two had a very public feud in 2020 with Trump referring to Whitmer as 'the woman from Michigan'.
But time has changed and appears to have healed old wounds as Trump offered nothing but praise for the term-limited governor.
"I want to thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it also to our attention very strongly. And, you know, I'm not supposed to do that. She's a Democrat. They say, don't do that. Don't have her here. I said, no, she's going to be here. She's done a very good job, frankly. And she's she was very much involved with, with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it. And it was not easy. So I want to thank you very much, Gretchen. Good job," he said.
Trump also thanked Hall and Senate Republican leader Eric Nesbitt for their roles as well.
"I want to thank all of the people that, I just mentioned, but in particular the, the you know, when I look at the House members, they have been, calling me all the time, can we got to get it done. And they worked along with Gretchen and some others," he said.
With the praise and congratulations finished, Trump announced Selfridge would be home to 21 new fighter jets.
"As commander in chief, I'm proud to announce that very soon, we will replace the retiring A-10 warthogs with 21 brand new F-15 Eagle, two fighter jets, the best in the world. Fresh off the line. Brand new. Fresh off the line," Trump said.
The announcement was met with a raucous applause from the guard behind him.
"This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power," he said.
"For generations, the men and women of Selfridge have always been here, and they've always been for us. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, they've always been for us. They've been for America. And under the Trump administration, we're going to be there for you," he said.
Trump promised that Selfridge would be at the center of action and will also build submarines.
"I just want to say we're building some of the greatest submarines and various other ships. But submarines in particular, we have a monopoly on great submarines. We're building the greatest and the most powerful machine ever built," Trump said.
Hegseth spoke briefly, thanking Trump for his remarks and work and for 'restoring the warrior ethos'.
Trump then asked Whitmer to speak as he gestured toward the podium.
"Well, I hadn't planned to speak, but I'm on behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country and serve so honorably on behalf of the state of Michigan. I am really damn happy we're here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge. It's crucial for the Michigan economy. It's crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security and our future. So thank you. I'm so, so grateful that this announcement was made today and I appreciate all the work. Thank you," Whitmer said.
She shook hands with the president and returned to her spot as Hall took the podium.
"This is the first time in decades where we can all say Selfridge is winning. We are winning because of you, President Trump. And I know all of these troops here will not let you down with this new fighter mission, which will keep Selfridge Air National Guard Base thriving for the next 30 to 40 years," Hall said.
The Source
FOX 2 was at Selfridge Air National Guard Base for the announcement.
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