Governor Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich. She also spoke at the event without covering her face before saying hello to President Donald Trump on Michigan’s tarmac and then spoke to members of the National Guard on Tuesday.
"Well, I'm not going to speak, but on behalf of all the military and women who serve our country and serve on behalf of the respected Michigan, I'm really glad we're here," Whitmer said.
Fox News co-host Jeanine Pirro said on Tuesday's "Five" that Whitmer had a chance to set the tone for the Democrats.
"I think … Sure, she's there because of the troops, but there are some Democrats who won't be in the same room as Donald Trump," Piroro said. "I think she did the right thing, and I think it's a smart move to want to bring manufacturing back to Michigan with the president."
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President Donald Trump spoke to members of the Michigan National Guard at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
During Tuesday's event, Trump announced plans to exchange retired A-10 Warthog aircraft based on the Selfridge Air National Guard base in Michigan for 21 brand new F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Jets.
Trump shared details in his speech to National Guard members at Michigan Base before commemorating his 100th day of office.
“So, I want to thank Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for having us very much caught our attention as well. And, I shouldn’t have done that. She’s a Democrat. They said, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t be here.’ I said, “No, she’ll be here,” Trump said. “Frankly, she’s done a great job. She was very involved with Republicans. Together they work to preserve it. This is not easy. So I thank you very much, Gretchen. very good.
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer watched as he signed the execution order in Washington, D.C. on April 9 in the White House Oval Office. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Whitmer looked like she was hiding her face in a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office a few weeks before Tuesday.
Whitmer has been criticized for covering her face with a folder because the photos of the moment have become memes on social media.
After meeting with the president, she lifted her folders again at the current virus moment when asked about her trip to Washington, D.C.
"…I don't want to take my pictures, that's it. I kind of wish I didn't put the folder in front of my face, but anyway. You know I'm there...I just wrote a book about learning to laugh at myself, so I'm good at it. We all have our moments," Whitmer said.
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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer waited Tuesday at General Paul Rogers, Michigan National Guard Adjutant at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Michigan. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The governor’s journey to Washington brings her 2028 presidential ambitions to the diplomatic tone with Trump. She carefully criticized Trump's tariffs while saying she understood "the motivations behind the tariffs" and even agreed that Trump we "need to make more in the United States."
Whitmer's Oval Office moment marks her second meeting with Trump in less than a month, and Tuesday's meeting now marks the third. When Trump signed the execution order from the Oval Office on April 9 and answered media questions, he said Whitmer "does well" as governor and called her "very good person" and was a typical path to attacking his character.
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When Trump signed the execution order, calling for an investigation into two first government aides who criticized his actions, Whitmer's office said she was taken into the room "without notice" and that her appearance was not "an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made."
But Trump called the questions "bipartisan" and joked: "We're all standing there and cutting the ribbon. OK, Gretchen?"
Diana Stancy and Deirdre Heaven of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.