Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, was ribbed online for seeming to hide her face during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Whitmer was seen temporarily shielding her face from cameras in the Oval Office by holding up a folder, according to a photo by the New York Times.
She later lowered the folder, as the president spoke to the press and encouraged Whitmer to comment as well. The Democratic governor, who clashed with Trump during his first term regarding her COVID-19 lockdown policies, met with the president to discuss recovery from an ice storm that impacted thousands of Michiganders, funding for the Selfridge Air National Guard base near Detroit, protections for the Great Lakes and the automobile industry.
WHITMER DITCHES DEM PLAYBOOK ON TRUMP’S TARIFFS AMID 2028 SPECULATION
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gestures to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP)
Whitmer, joined by Michigan State House Speaker Matt Hall and several Cabinet secretaries, stood steps away from Trump while he signed executive orders Wednesday.
“We’re honored to have Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, great state of Michigan. And, she’s been — she’s really done an excellent job. And a very good person,” Trump said.
Whitmer told reporters afterward that she thought she was coming into the Oval Office for a one-on-one meeting with the president and was taken by surprise by the press conference.
Her face-shielding was derided online.
“Whitmer covering her face is the perfect metaphor for the Democratic Party,” one user wrote.
Another X user said, “Gretchen Whitmer hiding behind her files in the White House is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. This is what my 2 year old does.”
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speak with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
DEM GOVERNORS REVOLT AGAINST TRUMP’S ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS
“Was this the nail in the coffin of Gretchen Whitmer’s political aspirations?” a third user wrote.
Some users joked that Whitmer was “embarrassed” to be photographed with Trump but had no shame in placing a Dorito in the mouth of a podcaster in a 2024 social media post that critics said mocked a Christian sacrament.
The photo showed Whitmer hiding her face while standing in between Trump aide Natalie Harpe and Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Alex Myer.
Myer shared the photo on X, writing: “#NewProfilePic.”
Whitmer was in Washington to deliver a “Build, America, Build” address in which she called for bipartisan cooperation to strengthen American manufacturing. She was at the White House for her second meeting with Trump in less than a month, this time to talk about tariffs that were expected to disproportionately affect Michigan, whose economy is closely tied to an auto industry reliant on trade with Canada, Mexico and other countries.
In her speech Wednesday, which came before Trump announced he was pausing tariffs in most nations except for China, Whitmer highlighted areas of agreement with Trump on tariffs but criticized how they had been implemented.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer looks on as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and I can tell you, here’s where President Trump and I do agree. We do need to make more stuff in America,” said Whitmer, before adding, “I’m not against tariffs outright, but it is a blunt tool. You can’t just pull out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clear defined end-goal.”
Whitmer’s approach stands in stark contrast to that of other high-profile Democratic governors, many of whom are also seen as potential contenders for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination. But Whitmer faces a more challenging political landscape than leaders such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker or California Gov. Gavin Newsom as she represents a state with a divided state legislature and that went for Trump in two of the last three elections.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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DETROIT – A child was killed in a two-car crash in Detroit on Friday night, police said.
The crash happened just before 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, in the area of Tireman and Southfield.
Police said a car ran a red light and hit another car, killing a child who was in the car that was struck.
The at-fault driver is cooperating with the investigation, according to police.
No other details about the crash, including the child’s age, have been released.
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
These hidden-gem restaurants are worth exploring around Milwaukee
Try these hidden-gem restaurants in the Milwaukee-area. They’re a world of flavor worth exploring.
Downtown Milwaukee will host its 11th annual Taste & Toast Feb. 23 to Feb. 27, with more than 30 restaurants offering discounted happy-hour prices on drinks and appetizers.
The deals will run from 4 to 7 p.m. each day. This year, those who partake in the event and fill out a short survey about their experience will be entered to win $200 worth of downtown dining gift certificates. Four winners will be chosen March 6.
Specials include fish fry bites at Third Coast Provisions ($6), mini chicken and waffles at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar ($6), a Wisco Old Fashioned at The Wicked Hop ($7), Irish tacos at McGillicuddy’s ($9), a mimosa flight at Explorium Brew Pub ($8) and a Milwaukee Mule at Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen ($7).
Several locations will offer non-alcoholic beverages and appetizers for vegan or gluten-free diners. Reservations are encouraged at restaurants that accept them.
Participating restaurants are:
Interstate Parking will offer discounted parking to Taste and Toast patrons at select lots.
For full Taste and Toast menus, parking discounts, restaurant hours and more information, visit TasteToastMKE.com.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, is being honored by a rally and march to mark one month since he was killed.
Live aerial footage of the march can be viewed in the player above.
READ MORE: Minneapolis shooting: What we know about Alex Pretti, the man killed by Border Patrol agents
Raw footage of the rally and march will be uploaded above.
The Minnesota BCA says the FBI has denied them access to evidence in the shooting of Alex Pretti. FOX 9’s Soyoung Kim has the latest developments.
The backstory:
Federal agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, on the morning of Jan. 24.
It was the third shooting involving federal agents in Minnesota during January 2026, including when Renee Good was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Jan. 7.
READ MORE: Memorial ride for Alex Pretti planned by Minneapolis bike shop
President Donald Trump told reporters that he wants to see a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the shooting.
The Minnesota BCA was informed on Feb. 14 that the FBI will not provide them with any evidence in the case, despite cooperation on previous investigations.
READ MORE: Alex Pretti shooting: Minnesota BCA says FBI officially denied them access to evidence in case
The BCA says it will continue to investigate the shootings despite the lack of cooperation from the federal government.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has said she expects to have enough evidence to make a charging decision in Pretti’s shooting along with the Good and Sosa-Celis shootings. However, there are questions about whether a state case against a federal officer would survive the courts due to the Supremacy clause in the constitution.
Thousands of riders participated in a community bike ride to honor Alex Pretti a week after he was killed.
The Source: This story uses information from previous FOX 9 reporting and live footage from the march.
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