Gov. Whitmer Endlessly Ridiculed After Embarrassing White House Stunt: ‘This Is So Much Worse’
Particularly loud critics of President Donald Trump, such as Gretchen Whitmer, might want to keep a low profile when visiting the White House.
But the way the Democratic Michigan governor recently attempted to shield her face from the media’s cameras was a masterclass is backfiring strategies.
The Daily Wire reported on the incident and the backlash it fueled:
Whitmer was at the White House to meet with President Donald Trump about relief funding for Michigan residents who had been devastated by recent ice storms and funding for a Detroit-area Air National Guard base — but instead of a private meeting with the president, she was ushered into an Oval Office full of reporters and cameras while the president was signing executive orders.
NYT photographer Eric Lee captured one shot of Whitmer as she literally hid her face from the cameras — and that photo top-lined a piece detailing the risks she runs as a Democratic governor who is seen daring to cooperate with President Trump.
The article’s headline read, “Whitmer Shows How Democrats Are Playing With Fire in Cozying Up to Trump” — and the sub-headline doubled down: “The Michigan governor’s awkward Oval Office appearance reflected how several Democratic state leaders are cultivating cordial but politically risky relationships with the president.”
Some of the mockery that ensued can be seen below:
Gretchen Whitmer's political career pic.twitter.com/x99aMGhzQg
— Donnie Detroit (@DonnieDetroit19) April 12, 2025
https://twitter.com/PollTracker2024/status/1911155634420039952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1911155634420039952%7Ctwgr%5Ec40b29ab1d305e2a41b14b8f626f5d5b92426bc5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwltreport.com%2F2025%2F04%2F13%2Fgov-whitmer-endlessly-ridiculed-after-embarrassing-white-house%2F
https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1911139074619908268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1911139074619908268%7Ctwgr%5Ec40b29ab1d305e2a41b14b8f626f5d5b92426bc5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwltreport.com%2F2025%2F04%2F13%2Fgov-whitmer-endlessly-ridiculed-after-embarrassing-white-house%2F
The Hill also reported on the governor’s off-putting display:
“The governor was surprised that she was brought into the Oval Office during President Trump’s press conference without any notice of the subject matter,” Whitmer’s spokesperson told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister outlet, earlier this week.
“Her presence is not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made at that event,” her office added.
Whitmer, in the Wednesday photo captured by Times photographer Eric Lee, can be seen standing under portraits of Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson in the Oval Office with two blue folders shielding her face.
Here’s some coverage of the Democratic Party’s reaction to her White House appearance:
How do you look at this?