Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touts President Biden after debate miscues

Lansing — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whom some Democrats believe could be a future candidate for president, issued a statement Friday in support of current President Joe Biden after his performance in a debate with Republican Donald Trump widely drew criticism.

Whitmer's remarks didn't specifically reference the debate but came as pundits and national journalists floated the possibility of Biden somehow being replaced as the Democratic nominee before the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Biden's focus "is on lowering families’ costs, building an economy that works for working people and restoring the reproductive freedom women lost the last time Donald Trump was in the White House," Whitmer's statement said.

"Joe Biden is running to serve the American people," Whitmer added. "Donald Trump is running to serve Donald Trump.The difference between Joe Biden’s vision for making sure everyone in America has a fair shot and Donald Trump’s dangerous, self-serving plans will only get sharper as we head toward November.” 

Whitmer, a second-term governor and former state lawmaker, is a co-chair of Biden's reelection campaign. Like other prominent Democrats, she has been consistent in her support of Biden amid speculation that she could be an alternative candidate if Biden stepped aside.

"Biden will be a one-term president," tweeted Steve Schmidt, a national political consultant and Trump critic. "He still has the chance to watch a Democrat be inaugurated. There are 68 days until the DNC. Whitmer/Moore beats Trump."

Schmidt was referring to Whitmer and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Biden, who is 81 years old, gave some meandering and confusing answers during Thursday's presidential debate, the first of his 2024 race against Trump.

At one point, Biden mentioned COVID-19 and then stated, "We finally beat Medicare." At another, Biden discussed immigration and said he was going to work toward a "total ban" and then, corrected himself saying he was pursuing "the total initiative relative to what we can do with more border patrol and more asylum officers."

"I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence," Trump replied. "I don't think he knows what he said either."

More:A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but stirs Democratic anxiety about his candidacy

More:5 takeaways from the first Trump-Biden 2024 debate

Adrian Hemond, a Democrat and political consultant based in Michigan, said there seemed to be two schools of thought among Democrats after the debate: "utter panic" and "cope."

Biden didn't seem up for the job, but Trump didn't fully capitalize on Biden's missteps, said Hemond, who leads the Lansing consulting firm Grassroots Midwest.

There's an opportunity for Democrats to change their candidate and have a last ditch intervention with Biden, Hemond added.

"There's a chance," Hemond said. "I am extremely skeptical that that happens."

Michigan will likely have a close and competitive race for its 15 electoral votes this fall. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump in the state by 3 percentage points, 51%-48%.

Any potential struggle by Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket in November would have trickle down effects on the U.S. Senate contest, where Democrats are trying to hold onto a seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing.

Democrats also are trying to remain in control of the Michigan House of Representatives, where they currently have a narrow 56-54 majority.

Tom Leonard, a Republican and former Michigan House speaker, said because of Thursday's debate, GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers had become "the frontrunner to be Michigan's next senator."

"Last night was a disaster for Biden that will impact races across the country," Leonard said. "I don’t see how he recovers. It was like an athlete suffering a career-ending knee injury that may have cost his team the season."

Rogers, the Trump-backed favorite for the Republican nomination, still faces three opponents in the Aug. 6 primary. One of them, Grosse Pointe Park businessman Sandy Pensler, said Friday that Biden's debate performance showed he isn't "capable of the job today muchless four years from now."

“Unfortunately for Joe Biden and the Democrats, I think it was hard to contemplate the condition he’d be in four years from now as president,” Pensler told The Detroit News. "That was the biggest takeaway, which I think is very problematic for the Democrats."

Biden's debate performance probably made concerns about voter enthusiasm in Michigan among young people, among African Americans and among Arab Americans stronger, said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University.

"This morning, I think it's even worse than anyone could have imagined," Dulio said of the fallout spurred by Biden's handling of the debate.

If there's an attempt to get Biden to move aside as the Democratic nominee and to pick a replacement, Whitmer, who's 52, would have to be in the conversation, Dulio said.

Whitmer won her reelection race in Michigan in 2022 by about 10 percentage points, 54%-44%. She has made protecting abortion rights, which many see as one of Democrats strongest political issues, a focus of her career.

However, she has vowed to complete her four-year term as governor, and it's unclear how well known and supported she is outside of Michigan. Whitmer has a book set to be published on July 9 titled, "TRUE GRETCH: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between," that has already included a new blitz of national media attention for her.

As for Michigan Republicans, they slammed Biden's debate performance in their own statement Thursday night.

"Joe Biden's disastrous record was on full display for America tonight, and unsurprisingly, he was unable to defend it," said Pete Hoekstra, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

But Lavora Barnes, chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said on Thursday, Trump "showed us yet again what a dangerous and self-interested man he is, more interested in helping himself and his billionaire cronies than anything else."

Barnes' statement did not address Biden's debate performance.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

Washington Bureau Chief Melissa Nann Burke contributed.