Stephen A. Smith Says Gretchen Whitmer 'Had No Choice' But to Engage With President Trump

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith defended Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan Sunday, telling “This Week” guest host Jonathan Karl she was working for her state.

President Donald Trump praised Whitmer, a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 2028 presidential election, during a Wednesday meeting in the Oval Office, saying she did an “an excellent job” and describing her as “a great person,” Fox News reported. Smith said Whitmer’s critics were “ridiculous” during a wide-ranging interview on “This Week.”

“She’s the governor of Michigan. She has no choice but to do that, and anybody that thinks otherwise is just being foolish and immature and childish,” Smith said. “The fact is she’s the governor of a state in the United States of America. You need to do business with the federal government. He’s the president of the United States, you don’t get to circumvent him. So, as a result, you have to be an adult in the room and be prepared to do business and anybody who would encourage her to do otherwise is just being utterly ridiculous.”

Read More: https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2025/04/13/she-has-no-choice-stephen-a-smith-calls-out-foolish-and-immature-critics-of-dem-gov-who-met-trump/