Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the U.S. is in a “constitutional crisis” just one day after appearing alongside President Donald Trump in Michigan. The Democratic governor made the remark during a social media clip posted Wednesday, where she was interviewed by former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau. Her comments came after greeting Trump at the tarmac and attending his speech to National Guard members.
“We are,” Whitmer said when asked directly about a constitutional crisis. “No one is above the law. The thought that we’ve got an administration that is just blatantly violating court orders should, I think, scare everybody. This is a very serious moment.”
Democrats have increasingly used the term “constitutional crisis” since Trump returned to the White House 100 days ago. While Whitmer has warned about Trump’s tariffs hurting Michigan’s auto industry and pressed for disaster aid, she’s taken a noticeably more diplomatic tone than many in her party. Her approach has sparked tension among Democrats eyeing 2028.
Favreau pressed Whitmer on Trump’s actions in Michigan, including investigations into diversity policies at colleges and threats to freeze public school funding. “Have you asked the president to stop targeting people and institutions in your state?” he asked. “I have not had that direct conversation on this subject yet, but I’m not afraid to do that,” Whitmer responded.
He pushed further, asking why she hadn’t spoken up while standing next to Trump at events. Whitmer defended her approach. “Whenever I get the opportunity, I use every minute of that to cover a lot of different issues,” she said. “And I will continue whenever I have opportunities to make sure that I’m covering as much as I can. No question.”
Returning to the crisis claim, Whitmer said, “Many of us are fighting the fights we can,” and stressed that the courts should “have the last word.” She then turned her criticism toward congressional Republicans. “I hope that we finally see some backbone out of some of the Republicans in Congress to stand up to the courts to enforce their orders,” she said.
The comments were posted just a day after her joint appearance with Trump. At that event, she helped secure a deal to replace Michigan’s aging A-10 Warthogs with 21 new F-15EX Eagle II jets at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Trump publicly thanked her and praised her leadership.
Whitmer’s show of diplomacy put her at odds with other Democratic governors. While she stood with Trump, others hosted a counter-programming event slamming his first 100 days. The contrast didn’t go unnoticed, especially as presidential speculation swirls around Whitmer.