Now we know exactly why Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently made a high-profile, eyebrow-raising appearance at the White House — and it had nothing to do with optics or political gamesmanship. It had everything to do with keeping Selfridge Air National Guard Base alive and kicking.
As confirmed during President Donald Trump’s visit to Michigan to mark his first 100 days of his second term, the Selfridge base in Macomb County — long the subject of concern over potential closure — is not only safe, it’s about to get a serious upgrade. The retiring A-10 Warthogs stationed at Selfridge will be replaced with 21 state-of-the-art F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets.
“Very soon, we will replace the retiring A-10 Warthogs with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets — the best in the world. Fresh,” Trump announced on the tarmac.
This news isn’t just military hardware trivia — it’s a major economic and strategic win for Michigan and a direct result of bipartisan lobbying efforts led by Whitmer and the state’s congressional delegation. And yes, this is why she was at the White House a few weeks ago. The writing was on the wall, and now the ink is dry.
TRUMP at Selfridge Air National Guard Base: “For decades, they’ve been trying to save this facility… I want to thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it also to our attention very strongly… She was very much involved with the Republicans.”pic.twitter.com/Z7Px1aFKuU
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 29, 2025
As predicted by local political watchers like Thomas LaDuke, Trump’s Michigan stop was more than symbolic — it was tactical. And by bringing Whitmer into the spotlight during the announcement, he also played a classic Trump maneuver: forcing his political adversary into a public moment of cooperation.
Gretchen Whitmer REALLY didn’t want to talk.
Imagine how her base is going to react because she was just near Trump. pic.twitter.com/OWKtYzsE4j
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 29, 2025
Whitmer, to her credit, didn’t dodge the moment. After Trump offered her a chance to speak — which she could not have realistically declined without handing him an opening for attack — she stepped up and made her case:
“I am really damn happy we’re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,” she said. “It’s crucial for the Michigan economy; it’s crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security, and for our future.”
Sure, she slipped in a casual swear — which, at this point, seems to be a ritual for Democrats when a microphone appears — but the bigger takeaway is that she publicly aligned herself with a Trump administration victory. Whether her progressive base will forgive her remains to be seen, but from a practical standpoint, it’s hard to argue with the outcome.
AWKWARD! After covering her face up at the White House, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer just welcomed President Trump to her state.
She is NOT happy her embrace of Trump was just on camera, guaranteed! pic.twitter.com/6qG8hhvDHm
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 29, 2025
Trump didn’t just save a base — he flipped the script on Whitmer, praising her efforts and positioning himself as the unifying force, the deal-closer. That’s classic Trump: co-opting a Democrat’s success, making it bipartisan, and walking away with the bigger headline.
“She’s done a very good job, frankly,” Trump said. “She worked with Republicans to make it happen.”
It was a political trap sprung with finesse. Had Whitmer declined to appear or speak, Trump could have painted her as petty and ungrateful. Had she gone too far in embracing the moment, she’d risk alienating her base. Instead, she walked a careful line — one that probably won’t earn her applause on either extreme, but might earn grudging respect from the center.
