I know that President Trump is in Alaska today to meet with Russian President Putin to discuss Ukraine, yet Trump has not forgotten about what is going on here in the United States in the mainland U.S. 

He never would do that because that would NOT make America Great Again if he did.

See what I did there?

Last week, while monitoring foreign conflicts around the world, President 45 & 47 also took time to focus on matters back home here in the United States. He met quietly with a Democrat who also happens to be the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.

I still live in this blue state (yes, it is), and Michigan is still tied to the automotive world. Gov Whitmer, in close to her final year(s) in office, is looking to get some of the tariffs reduced on the automotive sector that Detroit and the State of Michigan still rely on greatly.

From the hometown local paper that covers this stuff, The Detroit News...

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met privately in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump to make a case he did not want to hear: The automotive industry he said he wants to save was being hurt by his tariffs.

The Democrat came with a slide deck to make her points in a visual presentation. Just getting the meeting Tuesday with the Republican president was an achievement for someone viewed as a contender for her party's White House nomination in 2028.

Whitmer’s strategy for dealing with Trump highlights the conundrum for her and other Democratic leaders as they try to protect the interests of their states while voicing their opposition to his agenda. It's a dynamic that Whitmer has navigated much differently from many other Democratic governors.

Now I have lived in the great state of Michigan for over 50 years, and so I feel as though I have a pretty good idea of how things work here. I fully understand what Donald Trump is trying to do with the tariffs that he has instituted during his second and final term.

Democrats always pull for tariffs without analyzing the situation. Donald Trump is trying to split the difference here and gain open markets for American products that we produce and want to sell across the globe.

I'm more of the school of negotiating that what we perceive as unfair tariffs quietly behind the scenes, when we get assessed charges that we feel are unfair, we negotiate the tariff lower. Donald Trump, on the other hand, makes it a talking point and wants to make sure that as many people understand why he is doing what he is doing.

 I have to admit this has been kind of hard for me to adjust to.

Whitmer's two earlier meetings with Trump resulted in gains for Michigan. But the tariffs represent a significantly broader request of a president who has imposed them even more aggressively in the face of criticism.

Now, is Governor Gretchen the person I want negotiating with the President of the United States on anything? Not really.

Yet on this idea, her instincts are correct, and I will cut her just a bit of slack. Trump at least can tolerate her, which ultimately bodes well for the people of the State of Michigan if something positive comes from it. Fingers crossed.

I'm not about adding costs to goods sold here at home, yet if we can lower the cost overall across the board, I will be down for that.

Now...I have to go lie down being I just agreed with Gretch on something pretty big in a state she has damn near blown up.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and bold policies, America’s economy is back on track.

Help us continue to report on the president’s economic successes and combat the lies of the Democrats. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.