Trump greets Whitmer with a hug and gives him a new victory for Jets for the Michigan Air Base

Harrison Township, Mich. (AP) – President Donald Trump announced a new combat plane mission for a Base of the National Air Guard in Michigan on Tuesday, relieving fears that the base could close and deliver a victory for an antagonist, Democrat, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. The two even shared a hug.

Whitmer has softened his position towards Trump in the hope of finding common land, ensuring a new mission for the base of the Air National Guard of Selfridge, a priority. His hug when the Republican president arrived in Michigan was a remarkable development given how unpopular the president follows with the Democrats and the resent of the hard campaign last year.

Whitmer, when asked about his hug, described the encounter differently, telling News: “I was the first one who greeted. We narrowed our hand and leaned to tell me, you know, congratulations and that I was a great reason why we were making an announcement today. And I was grateful for that.”

Jim Watson through Getty Images

For decades, Trump said at the Air Base, Selfridge “has remained a crucial pillar of the North America Air Defense.”

“In recent years, many in Michigan have feared for the future of the base. They have been calling everyone, but the only one that imported is Trump,” he said. “Today I have come to put any questions about the future of Selfridge.”

State officials had been pressing for years to replace the A-10 aircraft fleet of the base of the base, which are scheduled to be removed, to help Selfridge be in operation. Trump said Tuesday that the retired A-10 will be replaced by 21 Jets of Eagle II f-15ex fighters that were “just out of the line.”

During his comments, Trump said the governor, who shared a brief car trip with him to the base when he arrived in Michigan to mark his centenary in office, has been “very effective” in advocating for Selfridge. But his own makeshift comments, Whitmer significantly did not appoint Trump.

“I am very happy that we are here to celebrate this recapitalization in Selfridge,” he said. “It is crucial for Michigan’s economy, it is crucial for men and women here, for our national security and our future. So thank you. I am very grateful that this announcement has been made today and I appreciate all the work.”

Located 30 miles north of Detroit, the base generates approximately $ 850 million in state economic impact and supports approximately 5,000 military and civil personnel, according to Senator Gary Peters, D. Democratic Democrat

For years, Whitmer has pressed multiple administrations, including Trump’s in his first term and former Democratic president Joe Biden, to ensure a new mission for the base, describing it as “a key defense center and an economic anchor.” The Air Force announced in 2017 that Selfridge had lost an offer for the Lightning Fighter F-35A joke.

The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, traveled separately from the president to Selfridge for the announcement. But apart from the military implications, Trump’s announcement gave Whitmer a victory, although it remains to be seen what political price could have paid to ensure it.

The governor has frequently mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. While working to raise his nationwide profile, Whitmer has promised to find Trump in common where he can. But some Democrats see the president and his administration as such harmful that they prefer to see the party oppose Trump and his team whenever possible.

Earlier this month, Whitmer traveled to Washington to meet with Trump to discuss Selfridge and other problems that affect Michigan, including the pronounced tariffs that Trump has imposed on Canada and other US commercial partners. The governor said she was unexpectedly introduced in the Oval office, where she remained uncomfortable when the Republican president signed executive orders and attacked her political opponents during an opportunity to take photos.

During that appearance, a photo captured Whitmer trying to hide his face from the cameras holding a folder.

Trump had told Whitmer during his visit that he hoped to keep the base “open, strong, prospered.”

“It is a great property. It is an excellent location and it is a great state,” Trump said. “So I think we will return with a very good answer.”

It followed it on Tuesday, at a time when Michigan has seen its unemployment rate increase for three consecutive months, including a 1.3% leap in March, which reaches 5.5%, according to state data. That rate exceeds the national average.

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Weissert reported from Warren, Michigan. News Seung Min Kim writer in Washington contributed to this report.