Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pledged to rejuvenate America’s stagnant manufacturing industry, while her state’s own manufacturing sector has greatly declined in recent years.
Whitmer gave a Wednesday speech in Washington, D.C., echoing President Donald Trump’s vision to usher in a “golden age” of American manufacturing. Despite expressing support for domestic manufacturing, the governor critiqued the president’s “blunt” use of tariffs, claiming they lead to “higher costs, fewer jobs and more uncertainty.”
“Here’s my pitch … let’s keep going,” Whitmer said in the speech. “Let’s make more ships, planes, and semiconductor chips in America. Let’s cut red tape and unleash the extraordinary potential of American industry. Let’s give more hard working people a fair shot at a decent life. And let’s usher in, as President Trump says, a ‘Golden Age’ of American manufacturing.”
Despite her Wednesday remarks, Whitmer has faced public criticism in recent years over Michigan shedding thousands of manufacturing jobs during her time in office.
Michigan had 628,900 manufacturing jobs in January 2019, the month Whitmer took office, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data collected by FRED. Notably, the state had only 601,300 jobs in its manufacturing sector as of February 2025, marking a 4.4% decline, according to the BLS.
“Michigan lost 27,600 manufacturing jobs over Whitmer’s term, a 4.4% loss that is 39th in the country,” James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Over the period, 21 states added manufacturing jobs. Michigan’s economy has fallen behind.” (RELATED: ‘Companies Will Bring Work Back’: UAW President Defends Trump Tariffs In Verbal Slugfest With Befuddled MSNBC Hosts)
Still, Michigan accounts for a significant portion of U.S. manufacturing, with $62.0 billion worth of goods being exported from Michigan in 2023, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
Moreover, the two-term Democratic governor also warned of potential negative impacts of Trump’s tariffs on the U.S. auto industry during her speech. In March, Trump announced 25% tariffs on imports of vehicles and automobile parts, claiming the levies will “protect America’s automobile industry, which is vital to national security and has been undermined by excessive imports threatening America’s domestic industrial base and supply chains.”
The White House claimed in a fact sheet that the auto tariffs will help to “ensure the U.S. can sustain its domestic industrial base and meet national security needs,” and incentivize companies to reshore manufacturing to the U.S.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” Whitmer said during her remarks. “These last few days have been really tough for Michigan. 20% of our economy is tied to the auto industry, which depends on a steady flow of goods from our largest and closest trading partners. We’re home to the busiest international border crossing in North America … We’re already seeing the impacts of auto companies stockpiling parts and laying off workers. Suppliers are facing higher costs and delaying expansions. Dealerships are forced to raise prices by up to $15,000 amid slowing sales, and since every single auto job supports three others in the community, the impact is being felt by all of us.”
Despite Whitmer claiming that Trump’s tariffs could harm the U.S. auto industry, one of America’s largest labor unions praised the levies, claiming in a statement that the move would “bring back good union jobs to the U.S.”
Michigan’s steady decline in manufacturing jobs has been linked by some to the state’s removal of a “right-to-work” law, passed in 2012, which prevented employees from being required to join or financially support a labor union as a condition of employment. Whitmer signed legislation repealing the “right-to-work” law in March 2023, allowing unionized workplaces to require employees to pay union dues and fees. The repeal, which took effect in February 2024, notably does not affect public sector employees.
“Whitmer also ended Michigan’s right-to-work policy, which now forces private-sector workers to contribute to unions regardless of whether they want to be members or not,” Hohman told the DCNF. “This makes unions less accountable and hurts Michigan’s employment growth.”
Republican Michigan State Rep. Matt Hall criticized Whitmer over the law’s repeal, claiming in a March 2023 statement that the repeal will lead to businesses in Michigan finding “more competitive states for their manufacturing plants and research and development facilities, and workers and careers will drift away.”
Whitmer also directed all non-critical Michigan businesses to temporarily close in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in major job losses and shuttered many of the state’s auto manufacturing plants. While several sectors of Michigan’s economy have rebounded since the pandemic — such as lodging and tourism — manufacturing is one sector where employment levels have not returned to pre-pandemic rates.
NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – MAY 04: U.S. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) delivers remarks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit on May 04, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. The SelectUSA Investment Summit aims at attracting foreign investment in the United States. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
While on the campaign trail, one of Trump’s key promises was to revitalize U.S. manufacturing and boost America’s auto industry. A variety of major businesses, tech companies and foreign countries have pledged to invest more money into the U.S. and manufacture more products in America since Trump returned to the Oval Office, including Apple, Eli Lilly, and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Trump and Whitmer have been longtime critics of each other’s policies, and the president previously referred to her as “the woman in Michigan.” Though, Trump said Wednesday while hosting Whitmer in the Oval Office that she is a “very good person” who has done “an excellent job” in Michigan. The president notably won the state of Michigan in the 2024 election, receiving 49.7% of the vote.
Whitmer’s office did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
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