Leftist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez struggled to answer when asked how the United States should respond to China&#8217;s threat to take over Taiwan.
Ocasio-Cortez was part of a panel at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, alongside Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker. The panel focused on discussing U.S. foreign policy, but when the moderator asked Ocasio-Cortez if the United States should &#8220;commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan, if China were to move,&#8221; the far-Left Democrat struggled to come up with an answer.
&#8220;I think that, uh, this is such a — you know, I think that this is a, umm — this is, of course, a uh, a very longstanding, umm, policy of the United States,&#8221; she began. &#8220;Uh, and I think that what we are hoping for is that we want to make sure we never get to that point, and we want to make sure we are moving in all of our economic research and our global positions to avoid any such confrontation and for that question to even arise.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
AOC is asked if the US should defend Taiwan in the event China invades. Her answer is a word salad disaster that would even make Kamala cringe: <a href="https://t.co/jgfMWiSfmE">pic.twitter.com/jgfMWiSfmE</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/2022477481576440253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire reached out to Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s office, asking for clarification on her response.
Earlier during the panel discussion, Ocasio-Cortez said the wedge between the United States and China is more about &#8220;competition&#8221; than &#8220;conflict.&#8221;
&#8220;I think China is, of course, an ascending global power, growing very quickly, acting in its own self interests,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And oftentimes in Washington, there&#8217;s this frame between conflict and competition. I think sometimes depending on what&#8217;s happening, that rhetoric can get a little conflict-driven, and I think that it&#8217;s really a question of competition.&#8221;
In another panel on &#8220;the rise of populism&#8221; on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://youtu.be/rbmPHFIFC_U?si=I6QoD5oaxBNn8r8H&amp;t=2062">attempted</a> to describe President Trump&#8217;s shift to a new strategy on foreign policy and how the rest of the world has responded. Her remark, however, left people wondering what she meant.
&#8220;I think what we are seeking is a return to a rules-based order that eliminates the hypocrisies around when too often in the West, we look the other way for inconvenient populations to act out these paradoxes, whether it is kidnapping a foreign head of state, whether it is threatening our allies to colonize Greenland, whether it is looking the other way in a genocide. Hypocrisies are vulnerabilities, and they threaten democracies globally.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez was mocked over her answers on foreign policy and &#8220;the rise of populism,&#8221; with some commentators making comparisons to former Vice President Kamala Harris, who regularly made head-scratching remarks on the campaign trail and in interviews.
Both Ocasio-Cortez and Whitmer are viewed as potential Democratic presidential candidates who could compete for the nomination in 2028, but neither the governor nor the congresswoman seemed prepared to answer questions on important foreign policy topics during the Munich Security Conference panel.
In one <a href="https://x.com/Th_Midwesterner/status/2022681978911309884">exchange</a>, Whitmer was asked what she viewed as the solution to the war between Ukraine and Russia, but she tried to redirect the question to Ambassador Whitaker.
&#8220;No, please, I&#8217;d love to hear your answer,&#8221; Whitaker said after Whitmer asked him to take the question.
&#8220;The two that I am on the panel with are much more steeped in foreign policy than a governor is,&#8221; Whitmer said. &#8220;I do think that Ukraine&#8217;s independence, keeping their land mass and having the support of all the allies, I think is the goal from my vantage point. Go ahead, ambassador, do a better job.&#8221;

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

AOC Spits Out Word Salad When Asked About China, Refuses To Say If U.S. Should Defend Taiwan

China

Foreign Policy

Global Politics

Gretchen Whitmer

Politics

Taiwan

The Michigan Republican-controlled House used a little-known provision in state law to cut $645 million in government funding, including slashing multiple left-wing causes, last week.
The cuts were a major move for Republicans who are up against a Democrat-controlled state Senate and a Democratic governor that have pushed for bigger state budgets and a more expansive state government. Republican House Speaker Matt Hall told The Daily Wire that the cuts came after Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked for an extension on $2.7 billion that had been earmarked under a previous budget, but had not been spent by the end of the fiscal year.
&#8220;We had the opportunity using this law to cut more spending before Whitmer was able to put it into her slush funds,&#8221; Hall said.
The State Budget Office, which is controlled by Whitmer, sent letters to the House and Senate budget committees, requesting an extension on the $2.7 billion in funding that was not used, Bridge Michigan <a href="https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-house-cancels-645m-in-state-spending-without-senate-ok/">reported</a>. The GOP-controlled House budget committee opposed many of the programs in the Whitmer administration&#8217;s funding request and decided to send $645 million back to the state&#8217;s general fund.
Hall accused Whitmer and Democrats of requesting &#8220;a lot more money than they need&#8221; for the budget extension, adding, &#8220;And then they keep the money and they work-project it into their slush fund, so they have it for years.&#8221;
The <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/645-million-programs-cut-michigan-house-republicans-work-projects-appropriations-money-politics-wwmt">biggest cut</a> was $159 million to Whitmer&#8217;s Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund. The fund, which Whitmer created with the approval of the state legislature in 2024, matches federal grants with the state&#8217;s job creation goals. Another target of the Republican cuts was the Community Enhancement Grants, which were denied nearly $103 million. Some of the money from the grants has gone toward a festival in Detroit to celebrate diversity, according to WWMT <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/645-million-programs-cut-michigan-house-republicans-work-projects-appropriations-money-politics-wwmt">News Channel 3</a>. The Community Enhancement Grants were combined under one line item, meaning Republicans had to cut all of them to slash funding for the grants that promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
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Other priorities that were among the Republican cuts included over $1.2 million for a program aimed at stocking public bathrooms with feminine hygiene products. Hall told The Daily Wire that the program also requires boys&#8217; bathrooms to be stocked with tampons. Republicans also slashed funding for some of Whitmer&#8217;s green energy projects, such as her goal to build electric vehicle chargers along the coast of Lake Michigan.
Another department that took a hit from the cuts was the Office of Global Michigan, which housed a program that Whitmer used to make government handouts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-republicans-sound-alarm-on-state-program-potentially-giving-illegal-immigrants-up-to-500-per-month-in-rental-assistance">available to illegal immigrants</a>. The Office of Global Michigan, which lost around $1.3 million in the cuts, is also riddled with diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Michigan Democrats blasted Republicans over the cuts, calling them &#8220;cruel&#8221; and &#8220;disgusting.&#8221; Democrats specifically called out cuts to the RxKids program, which helps some parents pay for their children&#8217;s prescriptions. Democrats also blasted Republicans for making cuts to &#8220;Wigs for Kids,&#8221; which provides wigs and other services for children going through cancer treatments. Democratic state Rep. Will Snyder said the GOP cuts were one of the most “unprecedented displays of cruelty that I’ve ever seen during my time here in Lansing,” according to <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/12/11/michigan-dems-say-645m-work-project-cuts-are-cruel-gops-rylee-linting-also-calls-foul/">Michigan Advance</a>.
“This budget instrument was never intended for this purpose, and using it with such haste and scale proves the dangerous nature of crossing pre-existing and long standing-lines, even if (it was) potentially legally permissible,” Snyder said. “We are just now beginning to understand the full scope of these disgusting actions.”
“There’s a special place in hell for someone willing to yank money away from moms and babies 15 days before Christmas,” said Senate Democratic Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “I hope Matt Hall takes this holiday season to look within himself and reevaluate what exactly he’s doing here.”
Democratic leaders also suggested that they could pursue legal action to prevent the massive cuts.
Hall brushed off the criticism from Democrats, arguing that the state could still use some of the other government funding in its &#8220;slush fund&#8221; to put toward charities, such as Wigs for Kids.
&#8220;We can reappropriate funds that have a good purpose. We can come back through a supplemental budget, and we can put it back to use,&#8221; Hall said. &#8220;But I think the Whitmer administration should come in and they should explain to us where every one of these dollars is going. Something they wouldn&#8217;t do when they were trying to prevent us from making the cuts.&#8221;

Michigan State Capitol

Michigan Republicans Slash Funding For Leftist Causes With Massive Government Spending Cuts

Michigan Republicans Slash Funding For Leftist Priorities With Massive Government Spending Cuts

Leftism

Michigan

spending

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett raised eyebrows with a rap video she made for TikTok with Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist after endorsing him in his campaign for governor.
The <a href="https://x.com/garlin/status/1990443888046424553">video</a> begins with Gilchrist facing the camera — back-to-back with Crockett, who is barely visible behind him — lip-syncing to &#8220;What&#8217;s Up,&#8221; the 1993 smash hit by the 4 Non Blondes. Text on the screen reads, &#8220;POV you&#8217;re about to elect Michigan&#8217;s first Black governor.&#8221;
&#8220;And so I wake in the morning and I step outside. And I take a deep breath and I get real high. And I scream from the top of my lungs,&#8221; he mouths the words, and then the camera swings around to Crockett.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@garlingilchristmi/video/7573480169638350093" data-video-id="7573480169638350093" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;">
<section> <a target="_blank" title="@garlingilchristmi" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@garlingilchristmi?refer=embed">@garlingilchristmi</a> 
POV you’re about to elect Michigan’s first Black Governor @Jasmine Crockett <a title="mi" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/mi?refer=embed">#mi</a> <a title="politics" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/politics?refer=embed">#politics</a> <a title="blacktiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/blacktiktok?refer=embed">#blacktiktok</a> <a title="dance" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dance?refer=embed">#dance</a> <a title="jasminecrockett" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/jasminecrockett?refer=embed">#jasminecrockett</a> 
 <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Garlin Gilchrist" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7573480236921326349?refer=embed">♬ original sound &#8211; Garlin Gilchrist</a> </section>
</blockquote>
 <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
Crockett dives right into her impression of rapper Nicki Minaj, dancing as she lip-syncs, &#8220;Bit**es ain’t sh** and they ain’t sayin&#8217; nothin&#8217;, A hundred mothafu**ers can’t tell me nothin&#8217;, I beez in the trap, be-beez in the trap, I beez in the trap, be-beez in the trap.&#8221;
&#8220;Idiocracy was a documentary,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/VickieforNYC/status/1990595198465028592">observed</a> New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino.
&#8220;Can you imagine our founders watching this …&#8221; Robby Starbuck <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/1990604192046809477">mused</a>.
Radio host Justin Barclay <a href="https://x.com/MrJustinBarclay/status/1990541102731178124">added</a>, &#8220;If one were seriously running for governor in Michigan, Jasmine Crockett wouldn&#8217;t be on your list to work with.&#8221;
&#8220;Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist just released this ridiculous gubernatorial campaign video featuring a sitting member of Congress. Gilchrist says: &#8216;Take it from Jasmine Crockett, Trump can’t tell me nothin’,'&#8221; Newsmax&#8217;s David Harris Jr. <a href="https://x.com/DavidJHarrisJr/status/1990818816465735847">said</a>.
The Gilchrist and Crockett video came just over two weeks after the White House posted a TikTok video using the same musical mashup.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@whitehouse/video/7568669729519389966" data-video-id="7568669729519389966" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width:605px; min-width:325px;">
<section> <a target="_blank" title="@whitehouse" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@whitehouse?refer=embed">@whitehouse</a> 
The best to ever do it 🇺🇸
 <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - The White House" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7568669763774909197?refer=embed">♬ original sound &#8211; The White House</a> </section>
</blockquote>
 <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
Gilchrist hosted a fundraising event featuring the Texas Democrat in Detroit over the weekend, and has also been endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). He is the first Democrat in a crowded primary field to state that the situation in Gaza is an active &#8220;<a href="https://www.wlns.com/capital-rundown/gilchrist-calls-situation-in-gaza-a-genocide-at-dearborn-convention/">genocide</a>.&#8221;

US Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)

Jasmine Crockett Mocked For Bizarre Rap Promoting Michigan Democrat

Jasmine Crockett

Media

Social Media

Federal, state, and local officials held a press conference on Monday afternoon in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, updating the public on the investigation into Sunday’s shooting that targeted worshipers at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation.
Ruben Coleman, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said that investigators are “continuing to work to determine a motive” for what the bureau is calling “an act of targeted violence.” Four people were killed in the attack, and another eight people were wounded.
“Our special agents, victim specialists, child advocates, forensic interviewers and local partners have interviewed over 100 victims and witnesses to date, and are continuing to interview individuals as we speak,” Coleman added.
Coleman’s comments come just hours after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-believe-michigan-church-shooter-hated-people-of-the-mormon-faith?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Feds+Believe+Michigan+Church+Shooter+%E2%80%98Hated+People+Of+The+Mormon+Faith%E2%80%99">said</a> that, based on her conversations with FBI Director Kash Patel, the suspected gunman “hated people of the Mormon faith.” Coleman did not address Leavitt’s remarks.
The suspected gunman was identified as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, who was killed in a shootout with police. The suspect, a Marine and Iraq War veteran, was accused of driving a Chevy Silverado into the church building before stepping out and shooting congregants and setting the structure on fire.
The pickup truck the alleged shooter used in the attack had two American flags displayed in its bed. In a photo uploaded to Facebook in 2019, Sanford was pictured wearing a “Trump 2020” shirt that read, “Make Liberals Cry Again,” NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-we-know-thomas-jacob-sanford-suspect-michigan-church-shooting-rcna234309">reported</a>.
The victims ranged in age from 6 to 78, according to Dr. Michael Danic, chief of staff at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, where the victims were transported. Five people were treated for gunshot wounds, and three others for smoke inhalation. The child who was injured was stabilized and released, according to Danic.
Sanford allegedly set fire to the building using gasoline as an accelerant, and the blaze quickly engulfed the entire building. Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye said at Monday’s press conference that authorities have not finished searching the rubble of the burned building, but added that “everyone is accounted for.”
The roads near the church are still blocked off as authorities investigate the attack, and James Deir — the acting special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Michigan — asked residents to stay out of the area as the investigation continues. The ATF brought in a rapid response team to investigate the fatal shooting and fire. The team has “been used all over the world” and includes forensic chemists and bomb technicians, according to Deir.
Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer also spoke at the press conference, urging people to refrain from speculation, which she called “unhelpful” and “downright dangerous.”
“So I just ask that people lower the temperature of rhetoric,” Whitmer added.
The deadly mass shooting at the Latter-day Saints church in Grand Blanc Township marks the second attack on a place of worship in Michigan in the past three months. In June, an assailant was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tragedy-averted-shooter-targeting-michigan-church-taken-out-by-security-guard">taken out</a> before he could make it inside CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne. One of the church’s deacons hit the attacker with his Ford F-150, giving the security guard time to shoot him. The security guard was shot in the leg, but no one else was injured.

US-SHOOTING-CHURCH

Authorities Provide Update On Michigan Church Shooting As Motive Remains Unclear

Crime

Mass Shooting

Mormonism

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will “look at” issuing pardons for two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
Trump floated the potential pardons while taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office. The president said that he thought the two men – Barry Croft, 49, and Adam Fox, 42 – may have been “railroaded” by the FBI and prosecutors.
“I will take a look at it. It’s been brought to my attention. I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job, I&#8217;ll be honest with you,” said Trump. “It looked to me like some people said some stupid things, you know. They were drinking, and I think they said stupid things, but I&#8217;ll take a look at that.”
“A lot of people are asking me that question from both sides, actually. A lot of people think they got railroaded. A lot of people think they got railroaded, and probably some people don’t,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Q: &#8220;Will you pardon the people who are accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer&#8221;&#8221;
President Trump: &#8220;I will take a look at it. It&#8217;s been brought to my attention. I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/sO5dkFu5Vh">pic.twitter.com/sO5dkFu5Vh</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1927769909955527137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
A jury convicted Croft and Fox in August of 2022 of conspiring to kidnap Whitmer and of conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction. Croft was found guilty of an additional weapons charge.
Croft was sentenced to just under 20 years in prison with an additional five years of supervised release. Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison with five years supervised release.
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The case against Croft and Fox was mired in controversy and embarrassment for the FBI. The two men were convicted on their second trial after the first ended in a mistrial. At the first trial, two other alleged co-conspirators, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta, were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-orders-new-trial-for-whitmer-plot-alleged-masterminds-after-fbis-humiliation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquitted</a> after their attorneys argued that the FBI tactics used during the investigation amounted to entrapment.
Two other men, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, had earlier pleaded guilty in connection with the conspiracy.
Much of the controversy around the FBI investigation into the plot to kidnap the governor revolved around two confidential human sources used by the FBI to gather evidence, Jenny Plunk and Steve Robeson. Both <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-kidnapping-plot-fbi-informant-slept-in-the-same-room-smoked-weed-with-defendant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">smoked</a> marijuana with Croft during the investigation, a federal crime. Plunk also shared a hotel room with Croft at one point, raising further questions about the limits of the behavior of confidential human sources.
At one point during the investigation, the alleged conspiracists appeared to be headed for a split until FBI agent Christopher Long stepped in. Long <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-worked-to-keep-alleged-conspiracist-in-violent-group-headed-for-split" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> Plunk to try to keep the group of men together.

Donald Trump

Trump To ‘Look At’ Pardons For Men Imprisoned Over Whitmer Kidnapping Plot: ‘Railroad Job’

Executive

U.S.

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had nowhere to hide when President Donald Trump called her to the podium to address National Guardsmen in Michigan on Tuesday.
Whitmer met Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in southeast Michigan, where the president stopped during his 100 days celebration to announce that the base, which was at risk of shutting down, would receive a new fighter squadron. During his remarks, Trump thanked the governor for her work &#8220;trying to save&#8221; the base, and then asked her to speak.
Whitmer approached the podium and said she &#8220;hadn&#8217;t planned to speak&#8221; at the event.
&#8220;I am really damn happy we&#8217;re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It&#8217;s crucial for the Michigan economy, it&#8217;s crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security, and our future.&#8221;
&#8220;So thank you,&#8221; Whitmer said, looking back at Trump. &#8220;I am so grateful that this announcement was made today, and I appreciate all the work.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Whitmer: I had not planned to speak but… https://t.co/35mCWzkywY
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1917320346950328502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Whitmer&#8217;s appearance at the Trump event followed her trip to the Oval Office earlier this month, where she was photographed while appearing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-mocked-for-trying-to-hide-her-face-from-cameras-in-oval-office?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Gretchen+Whitmer+Mocked+For+Trying+To+Hide+Her+Face+From+Cameras+In+Oval+Office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hide her face</a> with a binder. She later said she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-responds-to-folder-gate-after-shes-caught-hiding-from-white-house-camera" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regretted</a> putting her folder in front of her face and laughed about the embarrassing photo, adding, &#8220;We all have our moments.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gretchen Whitmer temporarily shielded herself from the cameras when she was in Trump’s Oval Office, per this photo from NYT’s <a href="https://twitter.com/erjlee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erjlee</a><a href="https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q">https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/hnLnvuQvlX">pic.twitter.com/hnLnvuQvlX</a>
&mdash; bryan metzger (@metzgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1911078950865903648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Michigan governor, who has been a fierce critic of Trump and Republicans, received some kind words from the president, who said that &#8220;the reason she came&#8221; to the White House was to try to save Selfridge.
&#8220;She was very effective, along with some of the other politicians and some of the military people who love this place,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;So I want to also thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it to our attention very strongly. And you know, I&#8217;m not supposed to do that. She&#8217;s a Democrat. They&#8217;d say, &#8216;Don&#8217;t do that, don&#8217;t have her here.&#8217; No, she&#8217;s going to be here. She&#8217;s done a very good job, frankly.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> addresses Selfridge Air National Guard Base: &quot;For decades, they&#39;ve been trying to save this facility&#8230; I want to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/GovWhitmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovWhitmer</a> for bringing it also to our attention very strongly&#8230; She was very much involved with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TcQ3HxXN8E">pic.twitter.com/TcQ3HxXN8E</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917318771754041825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Whitmer, a potential 2028 presidential contender, was criticized by some on the Left for embracing Trump when he arrived at the base. She took to social media to explain her actions and appearance at the Trump event, writing, &#8220;Bipartisanship isn&#8217;t about sacrificing our values.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll work with anyone who&#8217;s serious about getting things done. But I&#8217;ll never compromise on what I believe. In Michigan, we know how to get things done—and that means working together,&#8221; Whitmer <a href="https://x.com/GovWhitmer/status/1917250428464415062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on X.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll work with anyone to move our state forward. But let me be clear: I will never back down from protecting our fundamental rights, defending our democracy, or fighting for every Michigander&#8217;s future,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Bipartisanship isn&#8217;t about sacrificing our values. It&#8217;s about standing strong and finding common ground to get things done. It&#8217;s about putting people first, every single time.&#8221;

Trump Makes Whitmer Show Her Face At Michigan Event

National Guard

Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has waited over three months to call a special election for a vacant state legislature seat, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without representation, but ensuring her party&#8217;s slim control over the legislature.
Whitmer&#8217;s delay is being blasted by Michigan Republicans as a political trick to keep the GOP from gaining a seat in the state senate. The district&#8217;s previous state senator, Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, was elected to the U.S. House in November. With the vacancy, Democrats maintain a one seat majority in the body, 19-18.
&#8220;It&#8217;s all politics,&#8221; Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt said in an interview with The Daily Wire. He argued that Whitmer is delaying the special election because Republicans have a shot at winning the seat.  The 35th state Senate District is a competitive electoral region that encompasses Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw.
&#8220;Right now, there are 270,000 people who have gone without a senator for going on four months now,&#8221; said Nesbitt, who is running for Michigan governor in 2026. &#8220;And who knows how much longer Whitmer is going to deprive them of representation.&#8221;
Whitmer, who has been the target of criticism after she was photographed hiding from cameras in the White House, has addressed the delay, but she hasn&#8217;t given any specifics on when she will officially schedule the election. The governor told <a href="https://radio.wcmu.org/local-regional-news/2025-04-08/whitmer-confirms-35th-district-special-election-will-happen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WCMU</a> last week, &#8220;At some point there will be one, but I don&#8217;t have an announcement to make yet.&#8221;
“I haven&#8217;t made a determination yet,” she added. “There are a number of times in the year that we could call it for, and I just haven&#8217;t made a decision yet, but I&#8217;ll let you know as soon as, as soon as I do.”
The governor&#8217;s office did not respond to The Daily Wire when asked if Whitmer was planning on announcing a special election date soon. Michigan <a href="https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-168-641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> leaves the scheduling of special elections to fill vacancies completely up to the governor, and there is no deadline for how soon a special election must be called.
Republicans suspect that Whitmer&#8217;s political calculations are likely the reason for the delayed special election. Whitmer is in the final year and a half of her second term, a stretch that could prove pivotal for the Democrat&#8217;s legacy and future political aspirations. Keeping Democrats ahead of Republicans by one seat for as long as possible could be a preferable option for the governor instead of risking a GOP pickup in a special election.
&#8220;You gotta remember, a year and a half ago — November of 2023 — Whitmer <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/11/22/whitmer-calls-for-special-election-to-fill-vacant-house-seats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> a special election for two state House Democrat seats within two weeks after the November municipal elections, when the House got tied 54-54,&#8221; Nesbitt added.
Republicans are confident that they can pull off a win in the 35th District, relying on the momentum gained by President Donald Trump in 2024, who won Saginaw, Bay, and Midland Counties. Michigan Republicans also took control of the state House in the 2024 election.
Republican state Rep. Bill Schuette, who represents all of Midland County, told The Daily Wire that Whitmer&#8217;s delay &#8220;is a disservice to the people of the entire region,&#8221; adding that holding a special election as soon as possible shouldn&#8217;t be a partisan issue.
&#8220;It&#8217;s about representation,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard from small businesses and people in our community as well who are seeing our budget being debated, and they say, &#8216;Hey, we only have half of a voice when our state&#8217;s multi-billion-dollar budget is being debated,&#8221; Schuette added. &#8220;That&#8217;s not fair.&#8221;
Whitmer has been blasted for focusing on her recent book tour and potential 2028 presidential aspirations while still serving as governor. The governor was the subject of ridicule last week when she visited Trump in the Oval Office but hid her face behind a folder as members of the media attempted to snap photos of her.
&#8220;Her most recent comment about the special election is she hasn&#8217;t had time to make a decision yet. Well, you know what she has had time to do? Go on trips to the United Kingdom and Ireland and Spain,&#8221; Schuette said. &#8220;We all saw her hiding her face in the Oval Office. How about doing your job here at home, calling a special election and giving people their voice?&#8221;

‘All Politics’: Michigan’s Whitmer Delays Pivotal Special Election As Dems Hold Slim Majority

'All Politics': Michigan's Whitmer Delays Calling Important Special Election As Dems Barely Hang Ont

2024 Election

Elections

Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) admitted on Monday that she regretted trying to hide from photographers while in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump — particularly after a photo of her holding a folder in front of her face went viral.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-mocked-for-trying-to-hide-her-face-from-cameras-in-oval-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo in question</a> was taken by Eric Lee of The New York Times, and ran with an article detailing the difficult tightrope walk that Whitmer — and other Democrats who were attempting to work hand-in-hand with the Trump administration — had to manage as such cooperation often angered members of their own party.
Whitmer found herself in just such a situation when she traveled to the White House, where what she had expected to be a closed-door meeting with Trump – about funding for an Air National Guard Base and residents who had been devastated by recent storms — turned out to be a public Executive Order signing. Despite her attempts to stay out of the press — or at least the photos — the image of her literally trying to hide her face from the cameras quickly made the rounds.
Whitmer addressed the brouhaha at the Detroit Economic Club on Monday.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at the Detroit Economic Club on her meeting with Trump in the Oval Office:
“I kinda wish I hadn’t put my folder up in front of my face but, whatever.” <a href="https://t.co/gENrL8jxZ5">pic.twitter.com/gENrL8jxZ5</a>
&mdash; bryan metzger (@metzgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1911833942329856415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;How was Washington? Did you —?&#8221; the moderator asked, and without a word, Whitmer held up a folder in front of her face. The audience laughed.
Noting that he had watched her speech that same day, the moderator said he felt like she had hit all the right notes. &#8220;Ships, chips, and cars,&#8221; he said, adding that the tone of the media coverage had shifted shortly thereafter.
&#8220;The next morning I woke up and there you are in the paper,&#8221; he punctuated that last statement by holding a paper in front of his face, prompting more laughs. &#8220;Beautiful picture of you.&#8221;
&#8220;Someone asked me, &#8216;What was going through your mind at that moment?&#8217; and it was, &#8216;I don&#8217;t want my picture taken,'&#8221; Whitmer said, laughing off the viral image. &#8220;That’s all it was. I kind of wish I hadn’t put my folder up in front of my face, but whatever. You know, I was there. I mean, I just wrote a book about learning to laugh at yourself, so I’m — I&#8217;m pretty good at it. And we all make, you know, we all have our moments.&#8221;

Trump Signs Order To Revive US Shipbuilding, DOGE Review Of Navy

Whitmer Responds To Folder-Gate After She’s Caught Hiding From White House Camera

White House

Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) took a virtual beating on Saturday as The New York Times published a new photo of her in the Oval Office, literally trying to hide from cameras by holding a folder in front of her face.
Whitmer was at the White House to meet with President Donald Trump about relief funding for Michigan residents who had been devastated by recent ice storms and funding for a Detroit-area Air National Guard base — but instead of a private meeting with the president, she was ushered into an Oval Office full of reporters and cameras while the president was signing executive orders.
NYT photographer Eric Lee captured one shot of Whitmer as she literally hid her face from the cameras — and that photo top-lined a piece detailing the risks she runs as a Democratic governor who is seen daring to cooperate with President Trump.
The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/us/politics/gretchen-whitmer-trump-democrats.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article&#8217;s headline</a> read, &#8220;Whitmer Shows How Democrats Are Playing With Fire in Cozying Up to Trump&#8221; — and the sub-headline doubled down: &#8220;The Michigan governor’s awkward Oval Office appearance reflected how several Democratic state leaders are cultivating cordial but politically risky relationships with the president.&#8221;
The article went on to note that Whitmer, despite her obvious differences with Trump, had sent him a letter just after his inauguration. In that letter, according to the NYT, Whitmer expressed her desire to work with the White House and thanked him for his support of the American auto industry.
But it was the photo of a clearly uncomfortable Whitmer, hiding behind her folder, that went viral.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gretchen Whitmer temporarily shielded herself from the cameras when she was in Trump’s Oval Office, per this photo from NYT’s <a href="https://twitter.com/erjlee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erjlee</a><a href="https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q">https://t.co/TFDPPnci7Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/hnLnvuQvlX">pic.twitter.com/hnLnvuQvlX</a>
&mdash; bryan metzger (@metzgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/metzgov/status/1911078950865903648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is so much worse than if she just let her photo be taken,&#8221; Abigail Jackson posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is so much worse than if she just let her photo be taken 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/RoWz6Bl2Xw">pic.twitter.com/RoWz6Bl2Xw</a>
&mdash; Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) <a href="https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1911139074619908268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If it’s true that Whitmer was expecting a private meeting and trying to hide that she was at the White House, and President Trump brought her out to the press, that is an absolutely EPIC troll,&#8221; she added later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If it’s true that Whitmer was expecting a private meeting and trying to hide that she was at the White House, and President Trump brought her out to the press, that is an absolutely EPIC troll 🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/Kcxz6fs8yz">pic.twitter.com/Kcxz6fs8yz</a>
&mdash; Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) <a href="https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1911152925918757134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Gary Hart’s monkey business[,] Dukakis in a tank[,] The Dean scream[.] All scandals/embarrassing flubs that likely ended the careers of presidential hopefuls. And now… there’s this,&#8221; another posted, suggesting that the inopportune photo had effectively ended any chance Whitmer had at mounting a presidential campaign in 2028.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gary Hart’s monkey business Dukakis in a tank The Dean scream 
All scandals/embarrassing flubs that likely ended the careers of presidential hopefuls.
And now… there’s this: <a href="https://t.co/gH9eM0hgzk">pic.twitter.com/gH9eM0hgzk</a>
&mdash; Politics &amp; Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/PollTracker2024/status/1911155634420039952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I don&#8217;t personally care that Whitmer was at the White House. Sometimes that&#8217;s just the job,&#8221; Democratic strategist Max Burns <a href="https://x.com/themaxburns/status/1911093951173435578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a>. &#8220;What I don&#8217;t respect is trying to hide from cameras in a room with no corners. Have the courage to be uncomfortable.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Actual photo of Whitmer in the Oval Office ⬇️🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/9GOToFhvkU">https://t.co/9GOToFhvkU</a> <a href="https://t.co/QzPnes86OS">pic.twitter.com/QzPnes86OS</a>
&mdash; Sweet Home Michigan (@sweethomemich) <a href="https://twitter.com/sweethomemich/status/1911079236401598742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Trump Signs New Executive Orders At The White House

Gretchen Whitmer Mocked For Trying To Hide Her Face From Cameras In Oval Office

Gretchen Whitmer Mocked For Trying To Hide Her Face From Cameras In The Oval Office

New York Times

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson made her run for governor official on Wednesday after she accidentally posted a 2026 campaign announcement on Tuesday night and quickly took it down.
The 2026 governor&#8217;s race in Michigan promises to be extremely competitive as current Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited. Benson, who has served in her position since 2019, took shots at President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in her announcement video.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve spent my life standing up to powerful interests and bullies, and I&#8217;ll keep standing up to any bullies or billionaires who try to deceive us, divide us, take away our rights, or deny anyone the opportunity to get a fair shot,&#8221; Benson said as her video showed clips of Trump and Musk. &#8220;I&#8217;m running for governor to truly make government work for everyone.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m running to be Governor of Michigan to ensure everyone gets a fair shot.
I&#8217;m a mom, military spouse, educator — and Michigan’s Secretary of State.
I’ve never backed down from a tough fight or hard work. And I know together we can build the future Michiganders deserve. <a href="https://t.co/v0EMMffwFX">pic.twitter.com/v0EMMffwFX</a>
— Jocelyn Benson (@JocelynBenson) <a href="https://twitter.com/JocelynBenson/status/1882024319368237538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Benson accidentally announced her run for governor in a post on X on Tuesday night and quickly deleted it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Michigan Secretary Of State Jocelyn Benson accidentally announces then quickly deletes a post acknowledging her 2026 run for governor. <a href="https://t.co/VLhLfx5Q7L">pic.twitter.com/VLhLfx5Q7L</a>
— Jordyn Hermani (🔈: &#8220;HermanE”) (@JordynHermani) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordynHermani/status/1881862592056176768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
She was also <a href="https://x.com/CharetteForMI/status/1882158680994701359" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> for publicly announcing her run for governor on Wednesday in a government building in Lansing, a move that some argue violates a Michigan <a href="https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-169-257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state law</a> prohibiting &#8220;a person acting for a public body&#8221; from using &#8220;funds, personnel, office space, computer hardware or software, property, stationery, postage, vehicles, equipment, supplies, or other public resources to make a contribution or expenditure or provide volunteer personal services.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl%3D1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA..&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737044212122000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mp2MZNwEXBk00lKmCtOss">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a>
During her time in office, Benson has been repeatedly rebuffed by courts for attempting to create new rules for poll watchers without going through the proper process. Benson was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rnc-sues-mi-dem-secretary-of-state-over-guidance-for-absentee-ballots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> by the Republican National Committee in the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election for allegedly issuing guidance contradictory to Michigan law regarding absentee ballots.
Benson is the first Democrat to officially announce her bid for governor. Michigan Republican Senate Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/first-republican-throws-hat-in-the-ring-for-2026-michigan-governors-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aric Nesbitt</a> was the first Republican to throw his hat in the ring for the 2026 race earlier this month, and former Detroit Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detroit-dem-mayor-announces-run-for-michigan-governor-as-independent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Duggan</a> announced that he was running for governor as an independent in early December.
Benson will likely face multiple candidates in the Democratic primary. Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel have been floated as potential candidates running for the governor&#8217;s mansion on the Democratic side.

Jocelyn Benson

Michigan Dem Secretary Of State Launches Bid For Governor Hours After Accidental Announcement

Democratic Party

Joe Biden has left the building, but Bidenflation has not completely abated. A lot of us are still feeling the inflationary pain at the grocery store. Eggs, for example, went up a whopping 37%. To be fair, this was mostly due to negative supply shocks driving up the actual cost of producing eggs.
That sticker shock was recently compounded by a new “cage-free” law that <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/12/18/michigan-cage-free-eggs-new-law-impact-prices/76966711007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">officially went into effect</a> here in Michigan on January 1, 2025. Farms with more than 3,000 egg layers can no longer confine their chickens in cages, but must give them room to “<a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/food-dairy/foodlaw/cage-free-egg-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roam unrestricted in indoor environments</a>.” 
The large egg producers that supply grocery stores have had to take a giant step backwards and rebuild their egg operations at a significantly higher cost structure. On top of that, according to the USDA, bird flu recently killed off over <a href="https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2025/01/14/u-s-egg-industry-sees-record-chicken-deaths-from-bird-flu-outbreak/#:~:text=More%20than%2020%20million%20egg,supply%20since%20the%20outbreak%20began." target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 million hens</a>. The combination of bird flu and cage-free mandates have pushed egg prices to all-time highs.
I’m not here to complain about egg prices, though. Bird flu outbreaks are terrible bad luck, but chicken flocks will recover. Farmers will adapt to the cage-free mandates and the price of eggs will subside.
The egg crisis, however, did reveal a grotesque contradiction in our public policy: In Michigan, chickens now have more legal protections than some humans. I’m talking about unborn babies, who can be killed through all nine months of pregnancy in this state, and in a quite inhumane manner, might I add. This is thanks to some of the most radically pro-abortion policies in the country, enacted in recent years under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s leadership. Michigan voters ensconced a right to “reproductive freedom” into our state constitution in the 2022 election, which led to the repeal of nearly all abortion restrictions by the state legislature during 2023. According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, Michigan now ranks as <a href="https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/michigan/abortion-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“very protective” of so-called abortion rights.</a>
Ironically, just after signing the bills that repealed abortion restrictions, Governor Whitmer established the <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2023/06/01/whitmer-establishes-the-growing-michigan-together-council-to-focus-on-population-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Growing Michigan Together Council”</a> to “develop a statewide strategy aimed at making Michigan a place everyone wants to call home by attracting and retaining talent, improving education throughout the state, upgrading and modernizing our transportation and water infrastructure to meet 21st century needs, and continuing Michigan’s economic momentum.” Michigan, you see, ranks 49th in population growth, and even leftists realize that’s not good for the economy. So the state formed a commission to come up with comprehensive solutions to get Michigan growing again.
I’ve got one: Let’s stop killing babies.
Whitmer and her ilk are right that our near-zero rate of population growth is a major problem with massive social, economic, and political consequences. Conservatives have been tracking <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2019/03/27/what-will-be-the-consequences-of-our-plummeting-birth-rate/">declining trends in fertility</a> and <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2019/03/13/dear-david-frum-u-s-population-growth-not-problem-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">population growth</a> for years, sounding the alarm about the potential for demographic collapse. Awareness of population decline and its frightening ramifications is finally going mainstream, perhaps thanks to Elon Musk proclaiming that population decline is a much bigger existential problem than climate change. He’s right, of course, and serious people are catching on. Outlets such as the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/u-s-deaths-expected-to-outpace-births-within-the-decade-9c949de8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a>, <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/06/01/global-fertility-has-collapsed-with-profound-economic-consequences?utm_content=section_content&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAnKi8BhB0EiwA58DA4ct5fzkrQ9sKipRa-wCbLWsfKj-iv6AMak4OoGEIlDl9qyJmXdQC8RoC8DkQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Economist</a>, and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/politics/china-population-us-what-matters/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even CNN</a> are getting wise to the bitter implications of declining birth rates and population collapse.
When people have fewer babies, <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2024/09/picture-this-demographic-decline-andrew-stanley#:~:text=Lower%20birth%20rates%20result%20in,putting%20pressure%20on%20public%20finances." target="_blank" rel="noopener">everyone is worse off</a>. Economically, we get a smaller workforce that produces less output, generates less innovation, and results in lower incomes and fewer opportunities. Politically, we get a shrinking tax base that makes it harder for the government to fund and provide public goods like infrastructure, police, and defense. The population pyramid becomes inverted—more old people than young people. Each working-age person is now financially responsible for a larger number of retirees’ government-funded pensions and healthcare, putting even bigger strains on the welfare state. At a personal level, <a href="https://cosm.aei.org/who-is-happiest-married-mothers-and-fathers-per-the-latest-general-social-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">childless (and typically unmarried) people find themselves increasingly alone and unhappy.</a> The disease has advanced so far that we now have a generation of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/americans-are-having-fewer-babiesso-fewer-people-get-to-be-grandparents-a99b6001?mod=Searchresults_pos17&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">older folks lamenting that they’ll never see grandchildren</a>.
Several countries are entering a “demographic winter,” with more deaths than births and rapidly falling headcounts. Japan, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/japan-news-population-crisis-3-numbers-1954889" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whose population has been in freefall since 2009</a>, offers a sad and tragic cautionary tale on population decline. <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/30/japans-rent-a-family-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Old people rent stand-in grandkids</a>. In lieu of big supportive families, <a href="https://japantoday.com/category/tech/the-rise-of-companion-robots-in-japan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lonely elders rely on emotional support robots.</a> Young people, men, in particular, are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young-people-japan-stopped-having-sex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing interest in sex</a>. The trend ends in civilizational annihilation.
So how do we prevent Michigan, and the United States, from going down the demographic drain? Birth rates in America have been below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman since around 2008. We’ve been able to make up for declining births with massive immigration, which has kept population growth positive. You may have noticed, though, that large-scale immigration—most of it of the illegal variety — is falling out of favor. With a new administration actually enforcing immigration laws, it’s unlikely that foreigners will continue to make up for our birth dearth.
Policy wonks have all sorts of ideas for incentivizing people to have more kids. Many GOP legislators favor boosting child tax credits. Leftists who acknowledge the problem usually want more government-funded daycare or more generous parental leave. The nonpartisan Growing Michigan Together Council thinks the answer is a better statewide education system and more accessible public transit.
Any of these things might have some benefit at the margin, but interestingly (and sadly) I noticed in the Growing Michigan report exactly zero references to the direct solution: more babies. And there’s a really straightforward policy solution to a huge aspect of that problem, which is to just stop killing them. According to state data, from 1982 to 2023, <a href="https://www.mdch.state.mi.us/osr/abortion/Tab_A.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan lost 1.3 million children to abortion</a>. This is surely an undercount since it does not track babies terminated at home via the abortion pill. For the country as a whole, <a href="https://www.nrlc.org/uploads/factsheets/FS01AbortionintheUS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we’ve lost 63.5 million people to the abortion holocaust</a> since legalization in 1973. 
Numerically speaking, abortion is the primary problem when it comes to demographic decline, and it is entirely symptomatic of the root cause of all our problems: We are sacrificing the next generation on the altar of personal freedom, convenience, and hedonism. Too many people view marriage as a spirit-crushing trap and babies — even live ones kicking the womb — as a call option: If you’re not “in the money” with financial success or self-confidence, you can simply let it expire, and toss out that tiny helpless human like last week’s leftovers.
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No policy tweaks or monetary incentives will change people’s deeply held values about babies, families, marriage, and the meaning of life. Well-meaning members of the Growing Michigan Together Council are completely deaf, dumb, and mute regarding the actual problem here: we are killing babies, and we need to stop. The real problem is spiritual. It’s good vs. evil. It’s in our hearts. Now that killing babies is grotesquely enshrined as a “right” in many states, it’s going to take a huge shift in cultural values to turn the tide. Recommendations for “improving education” here or “increasing incentives” there just aren’t going to cut it — they are putting band-aids on a tumor.
America needs people. It’s good, right, and proper (and fun) for young men and women to get together, form families, and have kids. We need to return to a basic set of shared cultural values that recognizes and promotes the old normal: get married, have kids, and enjoy the good old family life. Ending abortion would be a huge step towards that shift in values, but it will most likely come as a result, not a cause. While we should keep fighting hard for the unborn and keep seeking legislative wins to protect tiny vulnerable humans, we should also realize that winning hearts and minds will take decades of commitment, personal leadership, and sacrifice. Animal rights activists fought long and hard to enact cage-free laws for the “humane” treatment of chickens — surely we who cherish human life can work even harder to build a culture that protects and values the lives of children, whatever their stage of development.
In the meantime, let us lead by example whenever possible. Get married, stay married, and have kids. Go to church, and pray: for your family, your kids, your friends’ kids, etc. Help the people around you as much as you can, especially with unplanned pregnancies and relationship strife. In the end, a large family and a long marriage are worth far more than any level of career or financial success. With God’s help, we can rebuild a culture of life and family that puts mothers, fathers, and babies at the center of everything. It’s the right thing to do, and it will even be good for the economy.
* * *
Tyler Watts is a professor of economics at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

State Capitol Building of Michigan in Lansing

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Michigan Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt announced on Tuesday that he is running for governor, becoming the first GOP candidate to enter a 2026 race that promises to be competitive.
Nesbitt, 44, said in a video posted on X that &#8220;Michiganders deserve so much better than what they&#8217;re getting from these Democrats up in Lansing.&#8221; The 2026 race in Michigan will put a new face in the governor&#8217;s mansion as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.
&#8220;What we&#8217;ve seen is higher taxes, more spending, more debt, and less jobs,&#8221; Nesbitt added. &#8220;You have Governor Whitmer giving free housing to illegal aliens, backing up the big business interests instead of folks back home that need to be protected. I hear it way too often: small business owners are left behind, our farmers are left behind. They show up and they go to work every day, and we need a governor that&#8217;s willing to show up and work just as hard as they are.&#8221;
Among his top priorities, Nesbitt called for ending electric vehicle mandates and standing with President-elect Donald Trump to bring back manufacturing jobs to Michigan. The gubernatorial candidate also said he wants to &#8220;ban sanctuary cities to make sure that our communities and families are safe.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It’s time to start putting the people of Michigan first. That’s why I’m running for Governor. Let’s get to work! <a href="https://t.co/aZs5S7THhP">pic.twitter.com/aZs5S7THhP</a>
&mdash; Aric Nesbitt (@aricnesbitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/aricnesbitt/status/1879127887519043750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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For the past two years, Democrats have controlled the state house and senate in Michigan. However, a Republican wave bolstered by Trump&#8217;s victory in the 2024 election put the GOP back in control of the state House, while Democrats hold a narrow majority in the state Senate.
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Republicans have struggled in statewide elections in recent years. Whitmer cruised to re-election victory in the 2022 election, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-michigan-governor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeating</a> Republican candidate Tudor Dixon by more than 10 points. The Secretary of State and Attorney General positions have also been filled by Democrats since 2019, and Michigan voters elected Democrats to the U.S. Senate in the 2024 and 2022 elections.
Multiple Democrats, including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, have been floated as possible candidates in the 2026 race. Republicans could see a crowded primary field, which could include Dixon and Kevin Rinke, who also ran for governor in 2022. Reps. Lisa McClain and John James have also been floated as potential candidates, but neither U.S. House member has said they are interested in running for governor.
Longtime Detroit Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detroit-dem-mayor-announces-run-for-michigan-governor-as-independent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Duggan</a> was the first candidate to enter the 2026 governor&#8217;s race. In early December, he announced that he was running as an independent.

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