In a recent interview, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer expressed her concerns over potential pardons for two men convicted of plotting her kidnapping, suggesting such action would contradict assurances given by President Donald Trump. She voiced these concerns during a discussion with Rick Pluta of Michigan Public Radio at the Detroit Regional Chamber Conference on Mackinac Island.
The Potential Pardons
Governor Gretchen Whitmer: “Well, I think anything short of condemning political violence does a disservice to everyone. I’ll be honest with you, I talked to the President about a month ago and he asked me how I’d feel about this and I said I think it would be the wrong decision. I would oppose it and he said ‘okay, I’ll drop it.’ Now, we see this revelation. So, I’m not sure how to process it. I will just point out that when the man shot at the President when he was on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, I was one of the first office holders on either side of the aisle to condemn it. Because anything short of condemnation creates a dangerous space for people that are sworn an oath to do the work of the public. We don’t take up arms and harm one another. And so, I’m going to make my thoughts on this known to the White House again. And I hope that it’s not an action that they take.”
Whitmer indicated uncertainty regarding the seriousness of the pardons, stating she had a prior “thoughtful conversation” with the President where he suggested he would not pursue it.
Trade Tensions and Economic Impacts
Addressing economic concerns, Whitmer discussed the federal court’s recent ruling on tariffs, which has delayed some but not all tariffs. At the Mackinac Policy Conference, she highlighted Michigan’s unique vulnerabilities due to its significant roles in manufacturing, agriculture, and the auto industry. These sectors face heightened risks amidst tariff tensions.
Governor Whitmer: “You can feel the stress that business has with regard to all the tariff chaos. We know that Michigan is uniquely vulnerable under these circumstances. We’re big manufacturers, we’ve got huge agriculture, and we’re heavy in the autos when it comes to manufacturing. Those three things make the Michigan economy more vulnerable when you’ve got this tariff chaos. I can’t unilaterally impact that — that’s coming out of the White House — but I’ve been advocating and I’m continuing to do the work that we can in Michigan, whether it is up-skilling our population, diversifying our economy, and Selfridge was a big part of doing that. These are the things that I’m going to stay focused on.”
Conference Insights
The conference, which brought together business leaders, non-profits, and unions, revealed mixed sentiments. Whitmer noted an overarching sense of optimism about Michigan’s direction but recognized the uncertainty stemming from federal policies.
Governor Whitmer: “I think people are feeling pretty good about the state and where we are headed, the trajectory that we’re on. I mean, that is one aspect. And then you’ve got all the chaos coming out of Washington D.C., which is creating uncertainty. And uncertainty breeds paralysis, right? You’re going to make an investment, whether you’re a homeowner who needs a new roof, but isn’t sure what’s going to happen in your employment because of tariffs and you see people getting laid off. If you’re a businessperson who wants to hire, but is actually scaling back because you need to have your cash flow protected. Paralysis happens, and we’re seeing some of that. So, what I can do at the state level, we are going to do: building our infrastructure, making sure that our kids can read and landing a chip plant. These are the things that we could do that’ll diversify our economy and strengthen Michigan. That’s where I want to keep my focus and try to bring about some rationality to the policy in Washington, D.C. I don’t know if I can do that, but I’m going to try.”
For more insights, listen to the full interview audio here.
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