A new photo of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D-Mich.) surprise visit to the Oval Office emerged in a Saturday New York Times report showcasing the lawmaker covering her face while President Trump spoke to the press.
The Michigan Democrat said she was unexpectedly whisked into the room for the president’s order signing on Wednesday ahead of a scheduled closed door meeting. The two were set to discuss tariffs and opportunities to invest in Michigan’s defense assets, including the Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
“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.
With Whitmer situated behind the White House press corps, Trump reiterated unproven claims that the 2020 election was “rigged.” He signed memoranda targeting two officials who served his first administration, who have since criticized the president.
“We did phenomenally in that election. Look what happened to our country because of it. Open borders, millions of people coming into our country,” the president told journalists in the room echoing his past rhetoric.
Whitmer stood listening throughout the press event. The blue state governor has been floated as a potential Democratic presidential contender for 2028 and met with Trump in March for a similar meeting to discuss Michigan’s job growth.
Earlier on Wednesday, Whitmer criticized Trump for his sweeping tariffs, citing a “tough” few days for her state and its auto industry during a speech in Washington.
She also spoke out in support of the president’s three month pause on levies.
“As I’ve said before, I’m not against tariffs outright, but they are a blunt tool. You can’t just bust out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clearly defined end-goal,” she said during her address this week.
