President Trump met with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Thursday at the White House for what the Democratic governor described as a “productive meeting.”

“I had a productive meeting at the White House today with President Trump where we discussed bringing good paying jobs to Michigan,” Whitmer told NewsNation.

“We also discussed tariffs, the importance of keeping our Great Lakes clean and safe, and additional defense investments in the state,” she added. 

On Wednesday, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum, which are both used to make cars and defense weapons, went into effect.

Trump and Whitmer’s meeting is a rare show of bipartisan efforts between the White House and a Democratic swing state governor.

“I’m grateful for his time today and I’ll always work as hard as I can with anyone for the state of Michigan and its people,” Whitmer said. 

Michigan has the most automotive manufacturing jobs in the nation and is home to nearly 19 percent of all U.S. auto production, more than any state in the country, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

President Trump struggled to gain the endorsement of auto workers in the 2024 presidential election due to their grievances with his 2016 administration, however, the United Auto Workers union said they fully support his “aggressive” tariff actions. 

Kellie Meyer contributed to this report.