Gretchen Whitmer Credits Trump for Delivering Michigan Fighter Jet Mission Biden Couldn’t Finish
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is giving President Donald Trump credit for delivering a major military project for her state that she says she unsuccessfully tried to secure during the Biden administration.
Whitmer made the acknowledgment during an appearance on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, where the two Democrats discussed the political reality of working with Trump despite their ideological differences. Michigan voted for Trump again in the 2024 presidential election, forcing Whitmer to navigate a working relationship with the Republican president.
Whitmer said that cooperation has already produced significant results for Michigan. She specifically pointed to securing a new fighter jet mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, something she had pushed for while Joe Biden was president without success.
“I got a fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and I tried to get that done under the Biden administration, couldn’t get over the finish line, but I got it done with him,” Whitmer said of Trump. She described the development as a “huge deal” for Michigan.
The project, known as Mission Next, will replace the aging A-10 Warthogs stationed at Selfridge with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. The transition will help secure the long-term future of the military installation while keeping Michigan at the center of important American defense operations.
The modernization effort will also bring infrastructure improvements, construction work and additional training opportunities to the base. Maintaining a major fighter mission at Selfridge has long been considered important to protecting jobs and economic activity connected to the facility.
Trump announced the F-15EX mission during an April 2025 visit to Selfridge marking his first 100 days back in office. The president emphasized that Michigan would receive newly manufactured aircraft and said the jets would keep the base at the cutting edge of North American air power.
The White House seized on Whitmer’s comments as evidence that Trump delivered where the previous administration failed. Trump officials argued that the president has prioritized rebuilding the military while simultaneously supporting American manufacturing and communities dependent on military installations.
Whitmer has frequently clashed with Trump politically, but she has also emphasized her willingness to work with his administration when doing so benefits Michigan. She told Newsom that working with people who are not necessarily friends is simply part of being governor.
Trump has occasionally returned the bipartisan praise, previously describing Whitmer as a “very good person” despite their long history of political disagreements. Their relationship has attracted particular attention as Whitmer continues to be discussed as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028.
For Whitmer, however, the Selfridge project provided a concrete example of why she believes cooperation with the White House is necessary. After failing to get the fighter mission across the finish line under Biden, the Democratic governor is openly acknowledging that Trump helped deliver one of Michigan’s major military priorities.