SOTU Response: Whitmer Says Trump’s Numbers Don’t Tell Entire Economic Story

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered the official Democratic Party response to the State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Whitmer delivered her 10-minute rebuttal from the East Lansing High School auditorium packed with invited guests. Numbers don’t tell the whole story of what’s happening with the U.S. economy, she said. While the stock market may be doing well, but workers are not getting fair wages and job security, Whitmer said.

“It doesn’t matter what the president says about the stock market," she said. "What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by, or don’t have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans, or prescription drugs," she said.

She took issue with President Donald Trump’s claim of a “blue collar boom.” 

“Americans are hurting," Whitmer said. "In my own state. Our neighbors in Wisconsin, and Ohio, and Pennsylvania. All over the country, wages have stagnated while CEO pay has skyrocketed.”

Employment in Michigan is very high, but wage growth has slowed. Hiring in manufacturing, construction and mining has leveled off. Economic security is expected to be fiercly debated in the industrial Midwest during the 2020 campaign.

Whitmer made one reference to impeachment. 

“As we witness the impeachment process in Washington, there are some things that each of us, no matter our party, should demand," she said. "The truth matters. Facts matter. And no one should be above the law.”

Trump won Michigan in 2016 by a fraction of a percentage point. The state is expected to be hotly contested this year.

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