Does Gov. Gretchen Whitmer want to make Michigan great again?

Her response to Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States sure sounds like it. However, considering the Wolverine State’s standing under her leadership, her record is the antithesis of the MAGA movement.

“I want to congratulate President Trump as he begins his second term, and I look forward to getting to work on the priorities we share,” Whitmer said in a statement shortly after Trump took the oath of office. “Here in Michigan, we are focused on creating good-paying, local jobs, fixing the damn roads, fighting for our advanced manufacturing industries including autos, defense, maritime, and aerospace, and working with our partners in Canada to keep costs low for working families and small businesses.

“Together, with Republicans and Democrats in Lansing and the new administration in DC, I know we can lower costs, bring more manufacturing back to Michigan, boost research and innovation, and cut red tape,” the governor added. “In 2025, let’s collaborate to solve problems and keep getting things done for the people of Michigan.”

Despite her conciliatory words, few will mistake Whitmer for holding policy positions that align with the new president’s. She endorsed and was the co-chair of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 presidential campaign, as well as the reelection bid of Joe Biden before her. .

While Trump touted during his inauguration address that the “golden age of America” is about to begin, Whitmer’s tenure is marked by promises backed by agenda failures, from failing to deliver good-paying, local jobs to fighting for the state’s advanced manufacturing industries.

In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 20,000 Michiganders filed new unemployment claims during the week of Christmas, 7,810 more than the previous week.

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While Trump has promised to be tough on China, Whitmer has cooperated with Chinese Communist Party-affiliated EV battery plants Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) and Gotion. Embarrassingly, the U.S. Department of Defense placed CATL on its 1260H list, which names Chinese military companies “operating directly or indirectly in the United States.”

However, the most significant gulf between Trump and Whitmer could be their positions on energy production.

While the Trump administration has promised the president “will unleash American energy by ending [former President Joe] Biden’s policies of climate extremism,” Whitmer has worked to hinder the state’s energy production. The governor purported to work with partners in Canada to keep costs low for residents and businesses.

Since taking office, the governor has worked with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to scuttle Canadian pipeline and energy company Enbridge’s easement for Line 5. While state regulators have repeatedly approved a new tunnel to protect Line 5 200 feet below the Straits of Mackinac, Whitmer’s administration has sided with climate change activists and pursued legal options to shut it down.

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And what about the Michiganders suffering because of her decision? Whitmer cruelly joked about Michigan’s severe winter weather in July while promoting her new book in Los Angeles.

Michiganders agree that Whitmer’s policies aren’t working and show their displeasure by moving to other states. According to state projections, Michigan’s population could decline by 6.9 percent or 692,000 people between 2022 and 2050 without an influx of migrants.

A recent finding from the personal finance website WalletHub shows Michigan’s struggles. In its new analysis of the Best & Worst States to Raise a Family in 2025, Michigan ranked among the worst states to raise a family, just ahead of Alaska and behind the rest of the Midwest.

According to Hunger Free America, which analyzed federal data for its Hunter Atlas Report, roughly 1.3 million Michiganders have struggled to provide food for their families in recent years.

Her highest-profile promise, one to “fix the damn roads,” also hasn’t yielded progress.

Since kicking off her gubernatorial campaign in 2018, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has pledged to fix the state’s roads. However, her focus in office has been more closely aligned with corporate handouts, which have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, than fixing the state’s roads.

Her failure has prompted House Republicans to propose a $3.1 billion plan to fix them without raising taxes, in part because of higher-than-expected tax returns.