Governor Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Washington, D.C. today to deliver a speech about trade and manufacturing, laying out what she calls a blueprint for the nation.
In front of a campaign-style backdrop with a huge message of “Build, America, Build,” printed in patriotic colors, the governor’s address is a likely maneuver to keep her name in the mix for presidential contenders in 2028.
After briefly highlighting her past efforts to work across the political aisle, the governor hit the trade issue head on.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it… these last few days have been tough for Michigan. 20% of our economy is tied to the auto industry, which depends on a steady flow of goods from our largest and closest trading partners,” said Whitmer.
The governor highlighted that Michigan is home to the busiest international border crossing in North America with more than 10,000 vehicles carrying parts and materials daily across the bridge connecting Detroit and Canada.
“We’re already seeing the impacts. Auto companies are stockpiling parts and laying off workers. Suppliers are facing higher costs and delaying expansions. Dealerships will be forced to raise prices by up to $15,000 amid slowing sales. And since every auto job supports three others in the community, the impact will be felt by countless small businesses across Michigan too.”
Since President Trump’s inauguration, however, Governor Whitmer has been reluctant to directly criticize the lightning rod figure or his policies. That includes the president’s current war on trade imbalance.
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and here’s where President Trump and I DO agree. We DO need to make more stuff in America… more cars and chips… more steel and ships. We DO need fair trade,” said Whitmer.
“While I share the President’s goal of bringing good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back home… it’s got to be done right. Reindustrialization could have huge ripple effects, since manufacturing has the highest economic multiplier effect of any sector. Every dollar spent to make something triggers a chain reaction of material purchases, jobs in the supply chain, and more local economic growth.”
The governor said she is not against tariffs outright, but that they “are a blunt tool.”
“As I’ve said before, I’m not against tariffs outright, but they are a blunt tool. You can’t just bust out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clearly defined end-goal. We also cannot underestimate or underappreciate the time and capital it will take to actually bring jobs and supply chains back home. There’s no shortcut here. Strategic reindustrialization must be a bipartisan project that spans multiple presidential administrations.”
During her visit to Washington, Whitmer is expected to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House. They met last month to discuss the tariffs which have since gone into effect.
