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.”
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.
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