Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday that President Donald Trump helped her secure a fighter jet mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base — an assignment she said she had pursued during the Biden administration without success.
Whitmer says Trump helped secure fighter jet mission she could not finish under Biden
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday that President Donald Trump helped her secure a fighter jet mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base — an assignment she said she had pursued during the Biden administration without success.
Whitmer made the comments on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom.' Newsom noted that Whitmer had visited the White House, and both agreed that maintaining a working relationship with the president was 'part of the job.' 'I've gotten some really good stuff done. Honestly,' Whitmer told Newsom.
Whitmer appeared to be referring to Mission Next, a plan to replace retiring A-10 Warthog aircraft at Selfridge Air National Guard Base with 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. According to the National Guard's website, the mission is part of a broader modernization plan that includes construction, infrastructure upgrades, job creation, and new training opportunities.
Trump announced details of the fighter jet mission in April 2025 during a speech at Selfridge to mark his 100th day in office. 'Fresh off the line. That means they are brand new,' Trump said at the event. 'They've never been anywhere. This is where they're going to be for a long time ... This is the best there is anywhere in the world, the F-15EX Eagle II. This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power.'
Whitmer drew attention in April 2025 after photographs showed her appearing to shield her face with a folder during an Oval Office meeting with Trump. She addressed the moment days later, saying she simply did not want her picture taken. 'I kind of wished I hadn't put my folder up in front of my face, but whatever,' she said. Trump called Whitmer 'a very good person' at the time.
In a separate episode in April, the White House criticized Whitmer after a local steel manufacturing company announced a $43.4 million expansion of its Michigan operations. White House spokesman Kush Desai said at the time that 'Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer spent decades talking about fixing broken trade deals and creating manufacturing jobs here in America for American workers,' while crediting Trump's tariff and deregulation agenda with delivering results.
- The source does not state what specific steps the Biden administration took or did not take regarding the Selfridge fighter jet mission, nor the reasons it was not completed.
- Former President Joe Biden's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the source.
- The source does not state the date on which the podcast episode aired, beyond describing it as Thursday.
- The source does not state the total cost or full timeline of the Mission Next modernization plan at Selfridge.
- The source does not state how many jobs are expected to be created by the modernization plan.
- The source text supplied appears truncated; some material may be missing.
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