Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has privately urged President Donald Trump to reconsider his proposed tariffs, warning they could inflict serious damage on the state’s economy and jeopardize nearly 600,000 auto industry jobs.
In a discreet Oval Office meeting, her third in-person encounter with the president but the most low-profile to date, Whitmer, a Democrat, presented a slide deck detailing the potential economic fallout. She argued that the tariffs, aimed at boosting American manufacturing, are instead harming Michigan’s automotive sector, home to General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.
The tariffs include a 50% levy on steel and aluminium, 30% on parts from China, and up to 25% on goods from Canada and Mexico. Whitmer warned that these measures are leaving U.S. automakers at a competitive disadvantage against German, Japanese, and South Korean rivals. Since 2020, trade with Canada and Mexico has generated $23.2 billion in investment for Michigan, with the auto sector relying on 50 assembly plants and more than 4,000 supporting facilities.
Major automakers have flagged steep costs from the tariffs, with GM and Ford reporting second-quarter hits of $1.1 billion and $800 million, respectively. Smaller suppliers such as Detroit Axle are also feeling the strain, with its owner warning that survival, not growth, is now the focus.
Whitmer also pressed Trump on disaster recovery aid and Medicaid changes, though no commitments were made. Political observers note her rare access to the president reflects the strategic balancing act for Democratic leaders in states pivotal to Trump’s political future.
Michigan has lost 7,500 manufacturing jobs since Trump’s return to office, intensifying scrutiny of his trade policies ahead of future electoral tests.
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