• President Donald Trump is visiting Michigan as he marks the first 100 days of his second term.
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has had a fraught relationship with Trump, is to join the president at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will join President Donald Trump at Selfridge Air National Guard Base on April 29, amid high hopes Trump will announce a new mission for the Macomb County base.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, said Trump will speak at Selfridge, with Whitmer in attendance.

Whitmer has been pushing for a new mission for Selfridge, saying a new fighter mission would protect Selfridge’s estimated $850 million impact on Michigan’s economy and build on Michigan’s legacy as the “arsenal of democracy.”

It wasn’t clear whether Whitmer would greet the president at the base when he steps off Air Force One. Whitmer Press Secretary Stacey LaRouche said April 29 that Whitmer is planning to be at Selfridge “to support her troops and the longstanding effort she has made to secure support for Selfridge.”

Whitmer, a prominent foe of Trump during his first presidential term, has pledged to work with him during his second term to benefit the state. Her reversal has angered some Democrats and led to an awkward moment April 9 when Whitmer briefly used file folders to shield her face from photographers after she was unexpectedly ushered in to a Trump news conference in the Oval Office.

Trump, between signing executive orders, exchanged comments with Whitmer and House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, who was also present. Topics included the future of Selfridge, emergency federal help after a devastating ice storm hit northern Michigan, and the fight against an invasive carp species that threatens the Great Lakes.

With a phaseout of the A-10 aircraft at Selfridge under way, Michigan political leaders from both parties have lobbied the federal government for a new fighter mission to protect the future of the base, fearing it might close without a replacement fighter mission.

A new fighter mission for Selfridge has topped Whitmer’s federal policy wish list.

In an article in The Atlantic published April 28, Trump again praised Whitmer and called her efforts on behalf of Selfridge “a very noble cause.”

Trump’s visit marks 100 days in office for the Republican, which have been marked by constant controversies over tariffs, funding cuts, and continued inflation. Polls show Trump’s actions related to immigration and the southern border have been his most popular moves among voters but he has also faced sharp criticism and judicial rebukes in that area for sidestepping due process requirements.

Trump is also scheduled to speak at Macomb Community College. LaRouche said Whitmer will not be at that event.

Free Press staff writers Clara Hendrickson and Todd Spangler contributed to this report.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected].