Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer painted former President Donald Trump as being out of touch with everyday Americans during her remarks at the Democratic National Convention Thursday evening, saying he knows little of the struggles they face in their day-to-day lives.
Whitmer was stumping for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was slated to formally accept the Democratic Party's nomination for president later Thursday evening. She told a packed crowd at the United Center in Chicago she supports Harris because like Whitmer, Harris could relate to caring for a parent struggling with illness while also trying to raise children of her own.
"At 29, I joined the sandwich generation, sandwiched between working and raising my newborn and caring for my mom, who was dying from brain cancer," Whitmer said "It was hard, but not extraordinary. It's life.
"Those nights reminded me who I was fighting for, people just trying to make it. Kamala Harris knows who she's fighting for too. She took care of her mom, who also battled cancer. As President, she'll fight to lower the cost of health care and elder care for every family. She's lived a life like ours. She knows us."
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Since being elected Michigan's governor in 2018, Whitmer's national profile has grown, and she is a popular figure for Democrats, in addition to being a popular target of Trump's.
Whitmer recalled Trump calling her the "woman from Michigan" during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
"Being a woman from Michigan is a badge of honor," Whitmer said.
She said Trump could not relate to having to care for a struggling parent, joking that "his first word was probably 'chauffeur.'"
"You think he's ever had to take items out of the cart before checking out? Hell, you think he's ever been to a grocery store? That's what the chauffeur is for," she said.
Whitmer said the past several years have been filled with notable events, recalling the pandemic, the attempted kidnapping plot against her, and a coup, likely referring to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. She said the future is also uncertain, but said Harris would provide a much steadier hand to lead the country in comparison to Trump.
"... One day, when you're just trying to get everyone out the door, a news alert goes off. Something happened, something hit the fan," she said. "You'll ask, 'is my family going to be okay?' And then you'll ask, 'who the hell is in charge?' What if it's him? What if it's that man from Mar-a-Lago?"
Whitmer's remarks lasted about five minutes. Before she took the stage, Republicans in Michigan hammered Whitmer and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, who also spoke at the DNC on Thursday and is the Democratic candidate for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat this fall. In a statement, the Trump campaign's Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita blamed Harris for economic inflation and said current border policies are leading to crime taking place in Michigan. During visits to Michigan, Trump often goes after Democrats on the economy and immigration.
"Elissa Slotkin and Gretchen Whitmer are loyal acolytes to whomever advances their political aspirations, without giving what's best for Michiganders a second thought," LaCivita said.
When President Joe Biden announced in July he would end his reelection campaign, there was initial speculation that Whitmer could enter the race. But she quickly said she planned on serving the remainder of her second term as governor, which concludes in 2026, and endorsed Harris' campaign. She told the Free Press at the DNC this week "I feel really lucky to be the governor of Michigan, and I've got stuff I want to get done."
Michigan is once again a key battleground state in this year's presidential contest.
— Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: At DNC, Whitmer tells crowd Kamala Harris has 'lived a life like ours,' urges support
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