Gov. Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t think Michigan is a winnable state for President Joe Biden.
In a phone call with Biden’s campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, the Michigan Democrat said the all-important swing state may no longer be in play after the president’s disastrous debate performance.
After a chaotic debate in which Biden stumbled over his words, lost his thread and was often difficult to understand, Democrats are left confused, with some calling for him to be expelled.
Whitmer’s name has been mentioned as a potential replacement on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket, as has California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
But Whitmer, according to Politicosaid during her phone call with Dillon that she was not comfortable with her name being put forward as a replacement if Biden is removed from the ballot in November.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t think President Joe Biden can win her state in November after his debate over a car crash
Michigan is one of seven states at stake in the 2024 election and is crucial for presidential candidates to win the battle for the 270 Electoral College votes.
In 2016, Trump won Michigan by a narrow margin of 0.3 percent. But the state turned blue for Biden in 2020 by a 2.8 percent margin over Trump.
The Midwest and Rust Belt states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are all 2024 battleground states, which flipped from red to blue between the 2016 and 2020 elections.
The president was already losing popularity in Michigan during his re-election campaign among the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party and among Muslim and pro-Palestinian voters. In the primaries earlier this year, these voting blocs cast their ballots “uncommitted” in protest of Biden’s policies in the Middle East.
Whimer’s name is being floated as one of the leading candidates to replace Biden on the 2024 ticket, amid calls for him to step aside after the debate. But Whitmer insists she is not fueling these discussions and has no interest in being on the ballot in November
Now, after his disastrous debate performance on Thursday, Whitmer, speaking to Dillon, warned that Biden is unlikely to win her state’s 15 electoral votes.
The second-term Michigan governor reiterated to Dillon her commitment to helping Biden in his re-election bid.
The rumors about Whitmer as a replacement on the candidate list are likely fueled by rivals who want to hurt her, especially because of her intention to run for president in 2028.
Even Trump doesn’t think Democrats will actually replace Biden. On Friday, he argued at a rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, that the left has no better choice and that no one is polling higher than the incumbent president.