Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has rejected the idea that she would run for President Biden in the 2024 presidential election, calling reports of the possibility “disturbing.”
“This is more of a distraction than anything,” Whitmer told The Associated Press on Monday about growing speculation that she could step in to fill in for Biden if the 81-year-old declines.
“I am totally focused on running the government and campaigning for candidates so I hate seeing my name in articles like that,” she added.
Representatives for the governor’s office and campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Biden would have to voluntarily step down in order for a successor to be named, allowing the Democratic National Committee to name a replacement for him and Vice President Kamala Harris, who would no longer be a sure bet as the running mate.
Whitmer, 52, will release a new memoir on Tuesday, “True Grech,” which chronicles her journey to becoming Michigan’s governor in 2019 and winning reelection in 2022 to help the state secure its first Democratic triple crown in nearly four decades.
“I have spent the first quarter of this century watching our nation’s politics slide uncomfortably toward incivility and conflict,” she wrote in an opening statement to The Associated Press.
“And that’s why I decided to write this book – to bring a little light to these dark times.”
According to Politico, after Biden’s disastrous defeat in the debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27, Governor Whitmer called the Biden campaign to send a “clear SOS” that he could no longer win Michigan.
She publicly denied the reports, but in doing so asked her supporters for donations. A super PAC that is affiliated with her — Not the president.
“I think we can all agree this was not Biden’s best 90 minutes,” Whitmer told The Associated Press.
“That being said, this is someone I’ve known for a long time and I have receipts for decades of public service that he’s delivered to people.”
Governor Whitmer was one of several Democratic governors who visited the White House on July 3 for a hands-on meeting with the president, and later became the first governor to endorse him.
“@JoeBiden is our candidate. He’s fighting to win and I support him,” she said. Post to X Right after the meeting ended.
But during the interview, numerous questions emerged about Biden’s mental competency.
What to know about the impact of President Biden’s debate performance:
The oldest president in history has complained to Democratic governors that he isn’t getting enough sleep and should avoid holding events after 8pm, but he also seemed a bit off when he joked that he was in good health and that “it’s just my brain” that’s the problem, The New York Times reported.
The White House later confirmed that following the debate, Biden had undergone another brief medical check-up, apparently for a lingering cold, but did not undergo a full medical exam.
Whitmer’s confessional account of how she rose to the Governor’s Mansion includes just one apology: for choosing to dine out with friends in May 2021 as state residents continued to endure the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions she imposed.
Still, she has criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024 and a potential 2028 Democratic candidate, for similar behavior when he dined without a mask at the upscale Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry.
