Gretchen Whitmer angers Dems with Trump meeting at White House Fing disaster

Michigan Gov.Gretchen Whitmer is under fire from fellow Democrats after appearing alongside President Donald Trump during a White House signing ceremony, sparking accusations that she was used as a political “prop.”“Just a f—ing disaster,” said one Democratic operative, who usually supports Whitmer but spoke anonymously to NBC News.“It feels like it removes some of the momentum she had as a politically savvy swing-state Dem.”Whitmer was in Washington for what was supposed to be a private meeting with Trump on Wednesday.

Instead, she ended up standing off to the side as the president signed executive orders calling for the investigation of two first-term administration aides who were critical of his actions.Many of the orders were not backed by Whitmer, but her presence near the Resolute Desk gave the appearance of support, an image that didn’t go unnoticed by members of her party.CNN senior reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere called the moment a “huge embarrassment,” while CNN host Audie Cornish said bluntly, “This does not look like the politics of resistance.”Dovere also insinuated that the situation was set up by the Trump team, saying, “She [Governor Whitmer] went for this meeting with the president, and he used her as a prop.”Critics said the moment undercut Whitmer’s persona as a rising Democratic leader, especially as Trump praised her on camera, calling her a “very good person” who had done “an excellent job” in Michigan.President Trump and Governor Whitmer have been working together on keeping Selfridge Air Force Base, outside Detroit, open and funded.They’ve also vowed to tackle an invasive fish posing a danger to the ecosystem of the Great Lakes.During the signing session, Trump called the issues “bipartisan” and joked about standing alongside the Michigan Democrat when the initiatives were completed, saying “we’ll all stand there together and cut a ribbon.

Okay, Gretchen?”Whitmer’s office moved quickly to co...