Whitmer Says No To 2028 In The Morning Then Maybe By Afternoon

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI — Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in the morning that she would not run for president in 2028, then later that same day shifted her answer to a “never say never” position after her comments drew national attention. The same day reversal raises a fair question for Michigan voters: if Whitmer cannot give a clear answer about her own political future, how can voters trust her to make clear decisions while still serving as governor?
Whitmer made the first comment during an interview with Fox Two Detroit at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
“I will not be one of them in 2028. I can tell you that,” Whitmer said when asked about the next presidential race.
She also said she was looking forward to taking a break after her second term as governor ends and was not actively focused on a White House run.
But later that afternoon, after her keynote address, Whitmer told reporters she had been answering what she called the “hundredth question of the morning” about 2028.
That is when her answer changed.
“I never thought I would run for governor, so I guess I should know better than to say never say never,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer said she has no announcement and is not currently planning a presidential campaign, but her afternoon comments changed the message from no to maybe.
For critics, that sounds less like clarification and more like political flip flopping. In the morning, Whitmer gave a firm no. By afternoon, that no sounded more like maybe.
That matters because Whitmer is still governor of Michigan. Voters may wonder whether her focus is fully on the job she has now, or whether she is already measuring the road to the White House.
And for many Michiganders, there is another issue that still sticks: Whitmer promised to fix the damn roads. If she could not get that done the way people expected here in Michigan, why should voters believe she is ready to lead the entire country?
If Whitmer sounds this wishy washy about whether she wants to run for president in 2028, is this the type of leadership voters want in the White House?