GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — In a new book released Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer looks back at her time in office and the challenges she has faced.
“True Gretch” also recounts the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer raised the ire of then-President Donald Trump when she called for federal emergency relief aid. He repeatedly criticized her for calling for emergency federal aid to manage the pandemic without using her name.
“When the former president targeted me and I started getting all the ugliness coming my way as well, I thought, ‘I could curl up in a ball and lament the fact that I’ve got this bully with the biggest microphone, or we just keep our sleeves rolled up and keep working.’ And that’s what we did,” Whitmer told NewsNation affiliate WOOD.
WHITMER: ‘UNEQUIVOCALLY’ WON’T REPLACE BIDEN
The new book comes as Whitmer throws her weight behind President Joe Biden while some other Democrats suggest he should step aside before the November election after a poor debate performance late last month.
When Biden ran in 2020, Whitmer’s name was floated as a potential pick to be his vice president. It has come up again as someone who could step in as the party’s presidential candidate this time around. She has recently raised her national profile, traveled to lots of state and spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C. Recent polling from Emerson College, The Hill and News 8 show her trailing Trump by 10 points in a hypothetical matchup.
For her part, Whitmer has steadfastly denied she is running for president. She told News 8 Tuesday that if Biden does leave the Democratic ticket, she will not be part of the process to replace him.
“I can tell you that unequivocally,” she said. “I’ve made a commitment to serve out my term as governor and I’m going to keep that commitment.”
She said she is convinced Biden can beat Trump, saying he has “delivered for this country.”
Regardless of what happens this November, it would not be surprising to see Whitmer on the presidential campaign trail in 2028.
