Latest news with #TrueGretch—YoungAdultEdition:LessonsforAnyoneWhoWantstoMakeaDifference
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Gretchen Whitmer Addresses Viral Oval Office Moment: 'I'm Not Happy'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has addressed the viral photos of her in the Oval Office that were taken earlier this month, saying on Sunday that she's "not happy" about the event. Explaining to a crowded theater at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the Democratic governor said on Sunday that she was in the Oval Office asking for recovery aid for Michigan following an ice storm when she got trapped at a press conference for President Donald Trump's latest executive orders. She told Los Angeles Times reporter Jessica Gelt that she felt "stuck" in the room with the president and was unhappy about all of the rhetoric being used around her. However, she added that she's "not going to apologize for asking for that help, but I'm not happy about the situation." Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer talking to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on April 9 in Washington, D.C. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer talking to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on April 9 in Washington, D.C. Pool via AP Why It Matters Whitmer is considered to be one of the likely contenders in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary in part due to her strong showings in the 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial races where she easily carried the state despite its reputation as a battleground. She faced some backlash from Democrats in early April when photos emerged of her in the Oval Office as some people accused her of placating to the Trump administration. What To Know A New York Times photo, taken by Eric Lee, shows Whitmer on April 9 shielding her face with blue folders in the Oval Office, appearing to avoid the press corps. The image then circulated widely on social media. Her conversation with Gelt, which was largely promoting her recent book, "True Gretch—Young Adult Edition: Lessons for Anyone Who Wants to Make a Difference, was not the first time she has tried to explain why she was at the White House and why the photos of her are so awkward. She told a crowd at the Detroit Economic Club earlier this month that the only thought going through her mind when she put the folders up to her face was "I don't want my picture taken." The governor said: "I wish I hadn't put my folder up in front of my face," but that she is learning to laugh at herself about the situation now. Whitmer has said before that her appearance at the White House was not an endorsement of the president or his agenda. She told Gelt she was told she would be having a one-on-one meeting with the president about aid for Michiganders following an ice storm. Instead, she ended up in the Oval Office where Trump and his aides were announcing new executive orders against a law firm that represented Dominion Voting Systems in its Fox News defamation case surrounding the 2020 election. Whitmer is one of the few Democratic governors who Trump has publicly praised, as the president told White House reporters that she is doing an "excellent job" as governor. Whitmer has defended her meeting with Trump, saying earlier this month: "Public service is about putting the people of Michigan before my own interest." What People Are Saying Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer told the Los Angeles Times: "I got stuck in this press conference, and I disagreed with all the actions that were taken, all the rhetoric that was stated, but I had to stay to ask for help for Michigan." Skyler Johnson, chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on April 12: "Unpopular opinion: While Gretchen Whitmer didn't necessarily handle the situation in the White House well, Trump/WH staff very clearly set it up to embarrass her and condemning her for it is playing into their hands." Neera Tanden, the chief executive of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, told The New York Times on April 12: "Democrats from the center to the left believe Trump is an autocrat who represents an existential threat to democracy and our rights. They expect their leaders to meet the moment by fighting his dictatorial attacks, not placate, negotiate or assuage because doing so makes him stronger and bully others more." What Happens Next? Whitmer cannot run for a third term as governor of Michigan but has not said whether she will launch a bid for president in 2028. "I know enough about myself to know I care desperately about where this country is headed...I want to be a part of that. I don't know that I need to be the main character in that story," the governor told Gelt on Sunday.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Embattled Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses her political future: 'I ain't going anywhere'
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drew a huge crowd to USC's Bovard Theater at the L.A. Times Festival of Books on Sunday, where she addressed her recent photo-op with President Trump and her potential presidential run in 2028. "People often ask me, 'How did you get elected in a state like Michigan?'" Whitmer told an attentive audience. "I think it's because people in Michigan believe that I am always going to put their interests first, even if it means threats or ridicule in the last month." The discussion with L.A. Times reporter Jessica Gelt was technically about Whitmer's latest book "True Gretch — Young Adult Edition: Lessons for Anyone Who Wants to Make a Difference." However, the conversation broadly addressed Whitmer's professed commitment to understanding political differences, even when it puts her in hot water — as was the case after she was recently photographed alongside Trump at the White House as he signed two executive orders targeting his perceived political enemies. In some of the photos, the Democratic governor appears to attempt to hide her face behind a folder. Read more: Column: Gov. Whitmer's party should learn from what she did in the Oval Office "Even as recently as a few weeks ago, I got caught in a situation that I never would have anticipated in a million years," said Whitmer, directly addressing the situation on Sunday. "I got stuck in this press conference, and I disagreed with all the actions that were taken, all the rhetoric that was stated, but I had to stay to ask for help for Michigan." Whitmer said she had intended to have a one-on-one meeting with Trump to ask for aid for recovery efforts for an ice storm in northern Michigan. "I'm not going to apologize for asking for that help, but I'm not happy about the situation," she said. Later in the talk, Gelt asked Whitmer about her future political plans. By law, she cannot run for a third term in the state's 2026 election, and though she has denied the rumors, Whitmer is considered by many to be a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028. "I don't know yet," Whitmer said. "I know enough about myself to know I care desperately about where this country is headed," she continued, noting how much has happened in the first 100 days of Trump's second presidency "and how much work is going to have to be done to make sure that we have the opportunity to put this country back on the right course. "I want to be a part of that," she said before noting, "I don't know that I need to be the main character in that story." "True Gretch — Young Adult Edition" follows the adult-oriented "True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership And Everything in Between," yet features some additions, including references to resources for young people dealing with abuse or mental health issues and a question-and-answer segment with her daughters, 21 and 23 years old. Both editions offer insights from the Democratic governor's political life, which includes overcoming a kidnapping and assassination plot in 2020 along with steering her state through the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more: Gov. Whitmer kidnapping plot case spotlights growing abuse of female officials The overarching talking point from the governor was that she "wouldn't trade a thing." She even said she wants to have a conversation with two of the men, now incarcerated, who co-operated with the government in their case against those arrested in the kidnap and assassination attempt against the governor herself. Said Whitmer: "There are people that won't engage, there are people who might engage, but the one thing I know is it's impossible to find common ground if you don't try to have a conversation." Get the latest book news, events and more in your inbox every Saturday. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
