Trump announces new fighter jet mission at Michigan air base

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — President Donald Trump announced a caller combatant pitchy ngo for an Air National Guard basal successful Michigan connected Tuesday, allaying fears that the basal could adjacent and delivering a triumph for a longtime antagonist, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer has softened her stance toward Trump successful hopes of uncovering communal ground, with securing a caller ngo for Selfridge Air National Guard Base a apical priority. The 2 shared a hug arsenic the Republican president arrived successful Michigan, a singular improvement fixed however unpopular the president remains with Democrats. Whitmer aboriginal disputed that it was a afloat embrace, saying she shook hands and leaned successful arsenic Trump enactment his limb connected her shoulder.

For decades, Trump said astatine the aerial base, Selfridge has “stood arsenic a important pillar of North American aerial defense.”

“In caller years, galore successful Michigan person feared for the aboriginal of the base. They’ve been calling everybody, but the lone 1 that mattered is Trump,” helium said. “Today I person travel successful idiosyncratic to laic to remainder immoderate uncertainty astir Selfridge’s future.”

State officials had been pushing for years to regenerate the base’s aging fleet of A-10 aircraft, which are acceptable to beryllium retired, to assistance guarantee Selfridge remains successful operation. Trump said Tuesday that the retiring A-10s volition beryllium replaced by 21 F-15EX Eagle II combatant jets that were “fresh disconnected the line.”

During his remarks, Trump said the politician — who shared a little motorcade thrust with him to the basal arsenic helium arrived successful Michigan to people his 100th time successful bureau — has been “very effective” successful advocating for Selfridge. But her ain impromptu remarks, Whitmer notably did not sanction Trump.

“I americium truly damn blessed we’re present to observe this recapitalization astatine Selfridge,” she said. “It’s important for the Michigan economy, it’s important for the men and women here, for our homeland information and our future. So convey you. I’m so, truthful grateful that this announcement was made contiguous and I admit each the work.”

Located 30 miles northbound of Detroit, the basal generates an estimated $850 cardinal successful statewide economical interaction and supports astir 5,000 subject and civilian personnel, according to the bureau of Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.

For years, Whitmer has pressed aggregate administrations — including Trump’s successful his archetypal word and erstwhile Democratic President Joe Biden’s — to unafraid a caller ngo for the base, calling it “a cardinal defence hub and economical anchor.” The Air Force announced successful 2017 that Selfridge had mislaid retired connected a bid for F-35A Lightning.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled separately from the president to Selfridge for the announcement. But subject implications aside, Trump’s announcement handed Whitmer a triumph — though it remains to beryllium seen what governmental terms she whitethorn person paid to unafraid it.

The politician has been often mentioned arsenic a imaginable statesmanlike candidate. As she works to rise her illustration nationally, Whitmer has vowed to find commonality with Trump wherever she can. But immoderate Democrats presumption the president and his medication arsenic truthful harmful that they’d alternatively spot the enactment reason Trump and his squad whenever possible.

Asked aboriginal astir the tarmac infinitesimal betwixt her and Trump, Whitmer tried to brushwood disconnected the interaction.

“I was the archetypal 1 helium greeted. We shook hands, and helium leaned successful to archer maine congratulations and that I was a large crushed that we were making that announcement today. And I was grateful for that,” Whitmer told The Associated Press.

Earlier this month, Whitmer traveled to Washington to conscionable with Trump to sermon Selfridge and different issues affecting Michigan, including the steep tariffs Trump has imposed connected Canada and different U.S. trading partners. The politician said she was unexpectedly ushered into the Oval Office, wherever she stood awkwardly arsenic the Republican president signed enforcement orders and assailed his governmental opponents during a photograph opportunity.

During that appearance, a photograph captured Whitmer trying to fell her look from the cameras by holding up a folder.

Trump had told Whitmer during her sojourn that helium hoped to support the basal “open, strong, thriving.”

“It’s a large portion of property. It’s a large location, and it’s a large state,” Trump said. ”So I deliberation we’re going to travel backmost with a precise bully answer.”

He followed done connected that Tuesday, astatine a clip erstwhile Michigan has seen its unemployment complaint emergence for 3 consecutive months, including a 1.3% leap successful March, reaching 5.5%, according to authorities data. That fare exceeds the nationalist average.

Weissert reported from Warren, Michigan. Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim successful Washington contributed to this report.