May 26, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Whitmer: "I can’t for the life of me understand" Trump’s antagonism toward Michigan

Jacob Knutson

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said in an interview with "Axios on HBO" Monday that she "can’t for the life of me understand" President Trump's antagonistic attitude toward her state, pointing out that he won it by more than 10,000 votes in the 2016 election.

The backdrop: Trump threatened to "hold up" unspecified federal funding to Michigan last week because the state government rolled out plans to expand voting-by-mail options amid the coronavirus pandemic. He's also repeatedly tweeted about Whitmer directly, claiming she's "way in over her head" with the coronavirus and that she "doesn't have a clue."

What she's saying:

"Why this antagonistic position against this state is something I can't for the life of me understand. And I would ask that we drop that. I was thinking the other day about when Barack Obama went into New Jersey after the hurricane, and was greeted by Chris Christie. And they both stood there and said we're going to get through this, we're going to work together. That's how it should be. And that's what I would like it to be like, frankly. And that's what we should expect it to be. And that's not what it is, obviously."

Go deeper: Michigan governor won't apologize for coronavirus lockdown

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Whitmer: "I can’t for the life of me understand" Trump’s antagonism toward Michigan

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