Trump, joined by Whitmer, announces new jets for Selfridge

• President Donald Trump announces new jets for Selfridge, saying he ‘came in person to lay to rest any doubts’ about the base
• Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined him at the base
• Michigan officials on both sides of the aisle had fought for new fighter mission at the Macomb County base 

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base will receive 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighers to replace a fleet of retiring jets.

“I’ve come in person to lay to rest any doubts about Selfridge,” Trump said at the Harrison Township base, hours before a planned speech in Warren to mark 100 days of his second term in office.

Among those joining Trump at the base Tuesday: Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who met with the president this month to advocate for a new fighter mission that would protect the base’s estimated $850 million economic impact and roughly 5,000 military and civilian jobs.

She and others had worried about the base’s future because its A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft are in the process of being retired.

“It’s crucial for the Michigan economy. It’s crucial for the men and women here,” said Whitmer.

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Whitmer, who sparred with Trump during his first term, and House Speaker Matt Hall met with Trump in the Oval Office earlier this month to lobby to secure new fighter jets.

On Tuesday, she met Trump on the tarmac and he praised her as “very effective” in working with Republicans to secure new jets for the base, saying she has “done a good job.” The two appeared to hug, but she told the Associated Press that Trump "leaned in" while they were shaking hands.

A Whitmer spokesperson said the governor was at Selfridge “to support her troops and the longstanding effort she has made to secure support" for the jets. 

Hall issued a statement calling the new fighter mission “exactly the kind of strength, power and American muscle our state deserves.”

“We tried for years to get this done with Obama and Biden, and they failed to do anything,” Hall said. 

Several other lawmakers, from Republican US Reps. John James and Lisa McClain, issued statements praising Trump and the announcement. US Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, said the announcement was the result of “years of persistent work and advocacy.”

For over 100 years, Selfridge has kept Michigan safe, powered local businesses, and given generations of families a place to serve and succeed. When Selfridge thrives, Michigan thrives—and I'll never stop fighting to make sure it does. pic.twitter.com/xBrG8qZLS8

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) April 29, 2025

Securing a new mission for the Macomb County base has long been a bipartisan priority for Michigan officials. 

In Congress, US Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, both Democrats, and Republican US Rep. John James have pressured the administration to assign a new fighter mission to the base — such as F-16s or F-35s — ahead of the planned phaseout of A-10 aircraft, which debuted in 1975. 

First launched in 1917 as an airfield in World War I, Selfridge now serves as a joint-services installation hosting units from all five branches of the armed forces. Last year, Selfridge was selected as the preferred location for a squadron of KC-46A Pegasus tankers that refuel aircraft.

State and federal officials have committed millions to the base’s upkeep, and Whitmer’s state budget proposal included another $26 million request for upgrades to the Selfridge runway. 

Trump called the F-15EX Eagle II the “best in the world” and “fresh off the line.

The fighter jet is manufactured by Boeing and costs about $97 million apiece. Boeing says the jet has a broader range than any other fighter in the US Air Force.

Joel Rutherford, a retired US Air Force traffic controller and member of the Macomb County Veterans Services Commission, told Bridge he’s wary of any announcement Trump makes about the long-term future of Selfridge unless it has the full backing of Congress.

“I started my traffic control career there, and I finished it there as a civilian, so Selfridge holds a place in my heart,” he said. “But I want to see something that's going to be best not just for the base but also for the community.

“It's easy to make a promise, but then never deliver,” Rutherford continued. 

Trump’s Macomb County visit marks a return to ground zero of his 2024 Michigan victory. Voters in that county gave him a 68,000-vote margin in a state he won by just over 80,000 votes.

Three months in, Trump has taken at least some action on many of his campaign promises. But he’s also facing legal scrutiny for his unprecedented use of executive power and criticism over his aggressive tariff strategy that’s sent financial markets spinning. 

And the impact on Michigan so far is, at best, mixed or unclear. 

In addition to the appearances at Selfridge and Macomb Community College, the president is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday to relax some of his 25% tariffs on autos and auto parts amid concerns that the tariffs could raise prices and make US companies less competitive in international markets.