- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, long speculated as a possible presidential contender, suggests she may not want the role
- ‘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 in Canada
- Toronto speech was Whitmer’s first of two scheduled Canada appearances amid ongoing state budget negotiations
A presidential run may not be in the cards for Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who hinted Wednesday that she might prefer a supporting role in the 2028 race to replace President Donald Trump.
Following a keynote speech Wednesday at Toronto’s Empire Club of Canada, Whitmer called speculation she could run for president a “big compliment” but downplayed that possibility.
“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,” Whitmer told Canadian journalist Steve Paikin.
“I think I’ve got an important vantage point as the governor of an important swing state, so I anticipate helping, but I don’t know if I’m going to be the person.”
While Whitmer has previously downplayed the possibility of a presidential run, her international travel schedule as governor — and a well-publicized memoir — has continued to spark intrigue.
Related:
- Gretchen Whitmer: Michigan government ‘will stay open,’ budget coming ‘this week’
- Whitmer biz incentives may face chopping block as part of Michigan budget deal
- Gretchen Whitmer: National Guard deployment in Detroit ‘unwarranted’
Her name was frequently floated in national Democratic circles as a potential candidate last year, especially when then-President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign.
Biden nearly selected Whitmer as his running mate in 2020, but he ultimately chose Kamala Harris instead. She also helped co-chair Biden’s campaign that year, and again in 2024 before he withdrew from the race.
Whitmer, who will be term-limited out of office after 2026, said Wednesday that she plans to remain focused on her current job as governor, adding that doesn’t want to leave office “having missed something, having lost something, having a catastrophe under my watch.”
“That would be the worst thing for anything I want to do in the future,” she said.
Whitmer’s Wednesday speech in Toronto came amid ongoing drama in Lansing, where she and legislative leaders failed to finalize a new state budget on Tuesday, missing a constitutional deadline but adopting a one-week stopgap spending measure instead.
The governor is also expected to speak at a summit in Quebec on Sunday, according to a tentative agenda. Whitmer’s office said she was returning to Michigan after her Wednesday speech and would keep reporters posted on any scheduling changes.
Whitmer: ‘Only winner is China’ in Canada-US trade standoff
Speaking to an audience primarily made up of Canadian business officials and dignitaries, Whitmer argued that Trump’s tariffs threaten the future of Michigan and Canadian auto manufacturers.
Trump in July raised import taxes on Canada to 35% but exempted goods that are compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement he brokered in 2020 but has since questioned.
Any decline in trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico would result in major job losses, widespread supply chain disruptions and shortages in fuel, parts, and produce, Whitmer said Wednesday, adding, “China would love nothing more than to watch us cripple our own economies.”
“We cannot afford to serve them the North American auto ecosystem on a silver platter,” Whitmer said. “The only winner in this scenario is China, and they’re coming for our auto industry. Everyone in this room knows it.”
Canada is Michigan’s largest international trade partner. The state imports more than $50 billion in Canadian goods annually, including crude oil, natural gas and raw materials, and exports $27.5 billion in goods.
The administration says the ongoing tariffs are part of an effort to get Canada to crack down on fentanyl smuggling despite the relatively modest trafficking irom that country. Trump has also expressed frustration with a trade deficit with Canada that largely reflects oil purchases by America.
As a border state whose economy is closely intertwined with its Canadian neighbors, Michigan is particularly vulnerable to the impact of US and retaliatory tariffs, experts and observers have told Bridge Michigan.
Whitmer noted she’s met multiple times with Trump, acknowledging that “not every governor has that kind of access” and praised the existing trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico that he signed into law. She said she’d like to see the administration “go back to” that agreement rather than using tariffs to “capriciously” change policy.
“I’ve taken this message directly to the White House,” Whitmer said. “I’ve sat with the President and told him, ‘When we say no to Canada, it is saying yes to China, and we can’t let that happen.’”
Calling the current trade climate a “dire moment” for manufacturing and US-Canada relations, Whitmer said the tone the Trump administration has taken with Canada in recent months is “unjustified” and “unproductive.”
“I want you to know that the vast majority of Americans view Canada as our best friend, our ally, our partner in the world,” Whitmer said. “I continue to be told that we’re making progress. I just want it resolved.”
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under our Republication Guidelines. Questions? Email republishing@bridgemi.com
