WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump's over captured the conundrum many Democratic governors are facing in the Republican's second term.
Gov. Janet Mills' vow that she would see Trump in court over his threat to withhold money from the state if it didn't comply with his executive order delighted Democrats who want more strident pushback. But the dust-up that played out in the open Friday as Trump hosted governors at the White House ticked off a president known to retaliate against people he considers enemies.
Hours after the spat, the federal Department of Education announced it was initiating an investigation into the Maine Department of Education over the inclusion of trans athletes. Trump doesn't want them playing in girls and women鈥檚 sports; Maine law bars discrimination based on gender identity.
鈥淎ny time a public interaction like that takes place, it鈥檚 coming from a person who鈥檚 grounded in their values,鈥� Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview Sunday. 鈥淚 love Janet Mills and I appreciate her for standing up. I also know that there鈥檚 always a cost that comes with that.鈥�
The Democrats who lead the nation's most populous states were in Washington for a meeting of the National Governors Association, where they tried to strike a balance between their states' needs and their feelings about Trump.
Whitmer, known for clashing with Trump during his first term over the federal COVID-19 response, campaigned vigorously against him in 2024 on behalf of Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Whitmer said she sat next to Trump at a White House dinner on Saturday night.
鈥淚 was the only Democrat at the table. I was a little surprised. I think everyone in the room was a little surprised, to be honest,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I took the opportunity to talk a little bit about tariffs.鈥�
Michigan and other states could be significantly affected by some of the president鈥檚 early proposals. For example, Michigan expects nearly 42% of its budget to come from federal funds and relies heavily on trade with Canada, which now faces potential Trump-imposed trade penalties.
A federal judge is considering a request to block the administration from freezing trillions of dollars in grants and loans, a move that could severely impact states. At the same time, Trump鈥檚 key ally, Elon Musk, is pushing to shrink the federal government, with likely ripples nationwide. About 80% of the roughly 2 million people in the federal workforce live outside metro Washington, dispersed across the country.
鈥淚鈥檓 very worried that people are going to make make decisions without a real understanding of what the ramifications are going to be for the American public,鈥� Whitmer said. Musk, she said, is 鈥渄angerous.鈥�
At discussion panels and news conferences at the meetings, state leaders struck a conciliatory tone.
鈥淲e always hope that people can disagree in a way that elevates the discourse and tries to come to a common solution,鈥� said Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado, the association's chair, when asked about the Trump-Mills exchange. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that disagreement was necessarily a model of that,鈥� he said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., met with Trump for more than an hour on Friday afternoon to discuss . Trump ordered a halt to the program, a key Hochul priority, and declared in a social media post: 鈥淟ong live the king!鈥�
Asked about the meeting, Hochul told CBS' 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� that it was 鈥渁dversarial鈥� and said New Yorkers 鈥渘eed to know I鈥檓 willing to take the fight wherever I have to.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to sit idly by and let our rights be attacked,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l work with you when there鈥檚 common ground, no doubt about it, let鈥檚 build great projects and infrastructure. There鈥檚 areas where we鈥檙e going to work with you on immigration and getting the violent criminals off our streets. We do not dispute that, but don鈥檛 think that you can just come in and bully us around and not expect a reaction from governors.鈥�
Whitmer said she had a chance to speak with Defense Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in addition to Trump.
鈥淚鈥檝e got to put the people鈥檚 interests before my own interests, before my partisan interest. I got a job to do,鈥� said Whitmer, considered a top-tier potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic nomination for president. 鈥淪o even if it鈥檚 uncomfortable, even if, you know, it鈥檚 all the all the things you would assume, on a personal level, that鈥檚 second to my job as governor.鈥�
Hundreds of miles from Washington, another 2028 contender took a different direction.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, in his State of the State address on Wednesday, compared the Trump administration to the Nazi movement and criticized members of his own party, declaring, 鈥淕oing along to get along does not work.鈥�
Pritzker鈥檚 response resonated with some key voters.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 elect Democrats to become collaborators with our oppressors,鈥� said Lori Goldman, founder of 鈥淔ems for Dems,鈥� a Michigan-based group focused on voter turnout.
鈥淲e are beyond angry and we are organizing against Democrats that sell us out,鈥� she said.
Joey Cappelletti, The Associated Press
