LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is still suffering fallout from her April appearance at the White House when she covered her face with binders during a press conference, according to a podcast.

Jon Favreau, former director of speechwriting for President Barack Obama, said he didn’t want Whitmer as potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028, in part due to her infamous visit.

MORE NEWS: Woman Held on ICE Detainer in Death of 12-year-old Boy

On the progressive podcast “I’ve Had It,” Favreau pointed to a recent Politico story that reported that Whitmer autographed a newspaper photo of her holding up the binders in front of her face for President Donald Trump. Favreau took issue that White House staffers said that Whitmer was the only Democrat that met with Trump and didn’t criticize him to his face.

“It’s like, I get that you, as a governor, you want to make sure that the people of your state are not hurt by the federal government when you have an authoritarian regime,” Favreau said. “I think that Whitmer, … the ones who are just using this time to just lay low, and not ruffle any feathers, and not really criticize Trump that much, and just assume that once the primary gets going in ’27 then they’ll start talking and they’re not fighting now, I don’t have a lot of patience for that.”

Favreau continued: “You got to be out there and you got to be not just fighting Trump, because I think that is important, but also looking beyond Trump, and talking about a vision for the country
If you are thinking about running in 2028, you should be out there now.”

Whitmer cast doubt in the fall when asked if she would run for president in 2028.

“I anticipate helping, but I don’t know if I’m going to be the person,” Whitmer said in October, according to the Associated Press.

In recent polling as of Dec. 19, Whitmer ranks last in 10th place behind the Democrats running for president in 2028.
Whitmer trails California Gov. Gavin Newsom (24%), former Vice President Kamala Harris (20%), former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (11.7%), New York U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (8.5%), Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (5.3%), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (4.8%), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (3.8%), Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (3.3%) and New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker (3%). Whitmer had 2.2% of the vote.