Governor Gretchen Whitmer faced a fierce backlash for cozying up to Donald Trump in her effort to deliver for Michigan, but her gamble could be paying off.
The Michigan Democrat is one of the many floated as a potential 2028 presidential contender who has had to grapple with how to navigate dealing with the president as part of their job.
But new polling shows Americans appear to back how she’s been handling the complicated relationship. Impact Research found the governor has a 63 percent positive job rating, the highest the poll has ever seen.
What could be a backhanded Trump bump comes after Whitmer put politics aside and headed to Washington.
Whitmer’s first cringe moment came when she found herself standing awkwardly on the sidelines inside the Oval Office while Trump spoke with reporters last month.
The governor looked uncomfortable and at one point even covered her face with folders, which ended up being captured on camera. She said she didn’t want her picture taken, but defended showing up at the White House.
Weeks later, Whitmer said she had secured a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County and showed up for the announcement event with Trump, where she spoke alongside the president.
The two shared a hug when Whitmer greeted Trump at the airport. During his speech, the president praised her for bringing the issue to his attention and for doing a “good job.”
The reaction to the speech was fast and furious. Some Democrats blasted the governor for accommodating Trump in any capacity, as they see him as a threat to the country and democracy.
Whitmer pushed back that she had not abandoned her values but was putting “service above self.” She has also been critical of the president’s chaotic tariff plans.
Turns out, Michiganders in the Trump-won state support her approach.
90 percent of Democrats have a positive view of her, Impact Research found, while 66 percent of Independents do. Even 35 percent of Republicans have a positive view of the governor.
“Michiganders want her to continue her approach of working with President Trump when it’s good for Michigan while standing up to him when she disagrees,” the polling memo read.
It found that given two choices, 60 percent support her approach to working with the president, where she could and pushing back at other points, while only 27 percent said she should stand up to Trump more.
Overall, 58 percent said she is taking the right approach to working with Trump, 61 percent said she was focused on the right problems, and 63 percent viewed her favorably for getting things done.
Whitmer might be one of the few Democrats who never got a nasty Trump nickname, but she’s not the only Democratic state leader and potential 2028 hopeful who has had to find a way to deal with Trump.
California Governor Gavin Newsom met Trump on the tarmac in California in January when he came to tour areas devastated by wildfires. The following month, Newsom met with the president to press for further aid at the White House.
Their California meeting resulted in a tenser picture with a firm handshake, an exchange of words on the runway, and a kiss for First Lady Melania. There weren’t images from the White House visit.
But Newsom, who Trump has frequently blasted as “Newscum” has not avoided the wrath of some Democrats for his approach to the president, as he too has signaled a willingness to find areas where he can work with the president.
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