Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer casts doubt on a 2028 presidential bid

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cast doubt on the prospect of running for president in 2028 while speaking in Toronto on Wednesday.

Whitmer was asked by a Canadian journalist in a moderated discussion whether she is considering seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2028.

“I anticipate helping, but I don’t know if I’m going to be the person,” she said.

Whitmer is in the last two years of her second term as governor and she cannot run again because of term limits. While she is seen by many as a potential candidate, she said she is focused on her current work as governor.

“I don’t know if I need to be the main character in the next chapter, but I want to have a hand in writing it,” she said. “And I think I’ve got an important vantage point as the governor of an important swing state.”

Whitmer has several challenges in front of her. Michigan lawmakers just passed a one-week continuing budget to keep the state government operational after months of bitter disagreement and just this week, a gunman opened fire in a Michigan church he set ablaze in an attack that killed four people.

Additionally, U.S. tariffs on Canada are hurting auto manufacturing. She gave a speech about Michigan’s relationship with Canada and the impact of the tariffs before the question-and-answer segment.

Canadian Journalist Steve Paikin grilled the governor on her relationship with President Donald Trump, which has been more cordial in his second term and less combative compared to other prominent Democratic governors such as Gavin Newsom of California and JB Pritzker of Illinois. The change of tone from Whitmer’s own first term as governor has reaped criticism from some Democrats and praise from others.

Whitmer has visited the White House several times this year, and has repeatedly stressed the need for bipartisanship at every level of government and politics in this first year of Trump’s second term.

But some of those interactions with Trump may provide fodder for rivals in a Democratic primary. In April, Whitmer shared a hug with Trump as he arrived in Michigan for an event — a moment captured by cameras. It followed an appearance in the Oval Office alongside the president.

Whitmer told the audience Wednesday that she has used each chance to meet with the president’s cabinet members and chief of staff, pushing them to “undo this tariff madness.”

“Not every governor has that kind of access,” she said.

Whitmer also had a grim warning for Michigan’s economy, which is deeply connected to the auto sector. Parts are often shipped across the border between Canada and the U.S. multiple times in the manufacturing process, resulting in multiple tariff payments. Whitmer said the ripple effects are being felt by consumers in mortgage payments, grocery bills and retirement savings.

“This really is a dire moment in manufacturing,” she said.

Whitmer had other points to pick with Trump. She rejected Trump’s recent claims that violence comes from left-leaning politics, drawing on her own experience with political violence. She suggested that Trump may seek an unconstitutional third term but believes the law will stop him. And while vague, she spoke in support of the freedom to disagree peacefully.

“You don’t take away their right to say whatever thing you don’t agree with. That’s what’s fundamental to a democracy,” she said. “And I worry that there are people in power who don’t believe that.”

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