Gretchen Whitmer criticizes Trump’s tariff policy while maintaining bipartisan tone
Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Governor (Photo: Getty Images)
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a sharp warning about Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, highlighting its potential economic fallout while deliberately avoiding personal attacks, The New York Times reports.
Speaking at an event near the White House, Whitmer questioned the effectiveness of the sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports, which now reach as high as 104%.
"Tariffs need to be used like a scalpel, not a hammer," she said. "Unfortunately, it’s unclear how this is going to strategically benefit the American economy or the American consumer. And I think that’s the big problem."
Despite her criticism of the policy, Whitmer refrained from directly blaming Trump - setting herself apart from many Democrats who have been vocal in their condemnation.
Throughout her 31-minute speech, she repeatedly called for bipartisan cooperation and emphasized the importance of working across party lines to support domestic manufacturing. "There’s a lot more common ground here than we think," she noted.
Moderate voice amid louder partisan criticism
While other Democratic governors like Josh Shapiro, JB Pritzker, and Tim Walz have taken a more aggressive stance - Pritzker calling the tariffs "Trump’s tax on working families" - Whitmer continued to strike a centrist tone.
"This will have a paralyzing impact on the economy. And if you think that a company or a country is paying that tariff, you’re being misled. It is the consumer that ends up paying the cost, and it is really, it’s a tax," she warned.
She also criticized the inconsistency of the policy: "Some days it is negotiable; some days, it’s this percentage or it’s this percentage," she said, pointing to the uncertainty it creates for businesses.
Despite her history of public clashes with Trump - who once referred to her dismissively as "that woman from Michigan" - Whitmer emphasized cooperation, even traveling to Washington alongside the Republican Speaker of the Michigan House to meet with GOP leaders.
At the same time, Beijing has forcefully condemned the tariffs, calling them "trade tyranny," and is urging the international community to unite against what it labels hegemonic and bullying tactics - underscoring just how far-reaching the backlash to Trump’s trade agenda has become.
