1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,759 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm Gretchen Whitmer, the forty ninth Governor of the Great 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:03,600 Gretchen Whitmer: State of Michigan. 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,360 ETS: Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,000 ETS: with women who dare to pivot out of one career 5 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,640 ETS: and into something new and explore how their personal lives 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:33,839 ETS: impacts these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. This 7 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,440 ETS: week we had a very special live episode with Michigan 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,120 ETS: Governor Gretchen Whitmer from our conversation at sixth to nine 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,839 ETS: in Washington, DC. When we began planning this season, I 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:46,760 ETS: knew I wanted to have someone on the show who 11 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,360 ETS: could speak to the political climate that we're in while 12 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:54,240 ETS: also providing insight on how progress is possible. And Governor 13 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,520 ETS: Whitmer is no stranger to challenge. From navigating a plot 14 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,160 ETS: to kidnap and kill her to facing a global pandemic, 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,200 ETS: the governor has led through difficult times. Now in the 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,240 ETS: midst of a mini plot twist, Governor Whitmer has taken 17 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,400 ETS: on a new title New York Times best selling author 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,959 ETS: with her book True Gretch and the new young adult edition. 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,240 ETS: During our conversation, she shares key pieces of wisdom from 20 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,480 ETS: the book that have shaped her trailblazing career, while merging 21 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,640 ETS: our favorite topic, the personal and the professional, as she 22 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,240 ETS: shares her experience as part of the Sandwich generation taking 23 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,959 ETS: care of her newborn and her own mother, all while 24 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,720 ETS: starting her political career in the Michigan legislature. Plus, she 25 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:42,720 ETS: answers one very important question, will she pivot again, perhaps 26 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,400 ETS: to one important office. This is an episode you don't 27 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,440 ETS: want to miss. Thank you so much to sixth and I, 28 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,320 ETS: a center for arts, entertainment, ideas and Jewish life in Washington, 29 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,320 ETS: d C, for hosting this amazing conversation. Let's jump right in. 30 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,480 ETS: Oh my god, Welcome Governor to d C. Thank you. 31 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,799 Gretchen Whitmer: It's good to be here, the good people of d C. 32 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,960 Gretchen Whitmer: Oh an Alliance fan there. Nice to see you. All right, 33 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:15,120 Gretchen Whitmer: I have. 34 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,119 ETS: To feel that we have more than one Lions fan 35 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,360 ETS: in the room here, or at least a big Gretch 36 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,360 ETS: fans for sure. Okay, so we're gonna back it up. 37 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,359 ETS: We're gonna jump right in. All right, it's back it up, 38 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,120 ETS: little gretch. Give me, little gretch, what did you want 39 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:27,920 ETS: to be when you grew up? 40 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,720 Gretchen Whitmer: Little Gretch? Wanted to be a sports broadcaster. Actually, I 41 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,600 Gretchen Whitmer: could have met another life. Actually that would have been fun. 42 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,120 Gretchen Whitmer: But I'm glad to be here with you now that 43 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,239 Gretchen Whitmer: you know. When I went to Michigan State, I thought 44 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,760 Gretchen Whitmer: I was going to be a sports broadcaster. All right, 45 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,080 Gretchen Whitmer: go green, go white. I heard someone, and I see 46 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:51,359 Gretchen Whitmer: you go blue people out there too, And I went 47 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,919 Gretchen Whitmer: to Michigan State. It was right down the street from 48 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,280 Gretchen Whitmer: the state Capitol. And my dad, who saw that I 49 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,640 Gretchen Whitmer: was taking all my communications classes and a couple of 50 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:03,320 Gretchen Whitmer: elect is like Bowling, suggested that I do an internship 51 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,639 Gretchen Whitmer: down at the capitol. And one of the things he 52 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,359 Gretchen Whitmer: said was, there's so few people. And I think it's 53 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,799 Gretchen Whitmer: really true today, even more today, So a few people 54 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,040 Gretchen Whitmer: understand how state government works or how government works, right civics. 55 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,440 Gretchen Whitmer: They said, go down and do an internship at the capitol, 56 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,400 Gretchen Whitmer: and maybe you hate it, maybe you love it, but 57 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,360 Gretchen Whitmer: you'll you'll come away understanding state government better and it'll 58 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:31,080 Gretchen Whitmer: carry you into wherever you go, put you on stronger footing. 59 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,200 Gretchen Whitmer: And I fell in love with public policy. And that's 60 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,200 Gretchen Whitmer: kind of when I when I pivoted the early pivot. 61 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,240 ETS: Do you think that you use anything from that early 62 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:44,600 ETS: sports journalism passion in the work that you do today? 63 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,120 Gretchen Whitmer: Oh that's a good that's a good question. Yeah. I 64 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,520 Gretchen Whitmer: think teams. I think team sports is really a great way, 65 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,920 Gretchen Whitmer: especially for women, to learn about leadership and teamwork and 66 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,840 Gretchen Whitmer: how to take a loss and dust yourself off. And 67 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:05,760 Gretchen Whitmer: so definitely the sports background I think informs a lot 68 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:07,440 Gretchen Whitmer: of how I show up today. Yeah. 69 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,280 ETS: Well, since I'm now dying to wade into this Michigan 70 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,080 ETS: State University of Mission, now I will tell you both 71 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,240 ETS: my mother went to DUM and my grandparents met there. Wow, 72 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,320 ETS: so we actually have some deep Michigan ties. 73 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,120 Gretchen Whitmer: And I was just on this side. He asked a 74 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,880 Gretchen Whitmer: couple of questions. Everyone's got some link back to Michigan. 75 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,360 Gretchen Whitmer: I think I am a Spartan who spawned Wolverine. So 76 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,599 Gretchen Whitmer: my one of my daughters is right there, and she's 77 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,039 Gretchen Whitmer: graduating in a few months from University of Michigan. 78 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:37,760 ETS: So look, nothing creates unity like a good rivalry. So 79 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,640 ETS: we're going to get the audience up here in it. Anyway. 80 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,239 Gretchen Whitmer: Yeah, I mean, how was that basketball game the other night, Sydney. 81 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,159 ETS: So once you decided politics, I mean, you you did 82 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,400 ETS: the internship, you got into it was that it you said, 83 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,600 ETS: okay now I'm in Or did you ever even consider 84 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:54,200 ETS: anything else. 85 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,760 Gretchen Whitmer: At that point, you know, I fell in love with 86 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,640 Gretchen Whitmer: it because I saw the difference. So I was as 87 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,960 Gretchen Whitmer: a junior, your staffer, you do the hard work of 88 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,559 Gretchen Whitmer: the community, the constituent work, and so I learned about 89 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,160 Gretchen Whitmer: so much about the people of Michigan who were reaching 90 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,440 Gretchen Whitmer: into state government, who needed help with this or that. 91 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,719 Gretchen Whitmer: And I was someone who was able to help connect 92 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,760 Gretchen Whitmer: people at times or give them, you know, information that 93 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,960 Gretchen Whitmer: they were seeking. And it was really about people. It's 94 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,640 Gretchen Whitmer: why I love this work. Even on the hardest day, 95 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,640 Gretchen Whitmer: and Lord knows, I've had more than my share of 96 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,520 Gretchen Whitmer: hard days in this job the last seven years. But 97 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,560 Gretchen Whitmer: even on the hardest day there I get joy out 98 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,000 Gretchen Whitmer: of knowing that I'm helping people or I'm doing something 99 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,520 Gretchen Whitmer: that makes a difference in people's lives. So that part 100 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,960 Gretchen Whitmer: of the job I really, I really love and I 101 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,520 Gretchen Whitmer: learned that early on that that was public service. That's 102 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:44,239 Gretchen Whitmer: what it's all about. 103 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,919 ETS: Yeah, you had an early formative experience at the beginning 104 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,520 ETS: of it something that so many people of our generation 105 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:55,040 ETS: are dealing with. The Sandwich generation of caring for your mother, 106 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,960 ETS: your newborn, and in a new job all at the 107 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,640 ETS: same time. I mean, how what were your coping mechanisms 108 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,760 ETS: and what was your decision making look like at that point. 109 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,240 Gretchen Whitmer: So you know, in the year two thousand, I was 110 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,800 Gretchen Whitmer: running for the State House, was the first office that 111 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,640 Gretchen Whitmer: I had run for. I was elected, got married, and 112 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:20,479 Gretchen Whitmer: my mother had fallen ill with glioblastoma multiform, which is 113 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,600 Gretchen Whitmer: the worst kind of brain cancer you can get, and 114 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,479 Gretchen Whitmer: she was told she'd have maybe four to six months 115 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,800 Gretchen Whitmer: to live. I was pregnant with my first child and 116 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,039 Gretchen Whitmer: a new member of the Michigan Legislature. They say the 117 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,039 Gretchen Whitmer: five hardest things that you'll do in the course of 118 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,680 Gretchen Whitmer: your life is to have a child, the death of 119 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:42,360 Gretchen Whitmer: a loved one, a new job, moving your home. All 120 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,320 Gretchen Whitmer: of these things happened to me in that first that 121 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,600 Gretchen Whitmer: first year I was in the legislature. 122 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:48,800 ETS: And yet I. 123 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,640 Gretchen Whitmer: Think I learned that during that period of time really 124 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,440 Gretchen Whitmer: forged who I am today. They have no patience for bs, 125 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,200 Gretchen Whitmer: and I don't have time to try to be something 126 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm not. I don't have energy or time to do that, 127 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,080 Gretchen Whitmer: and so it's helped me show up I think as 128 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I am, and certainly a lot of women who came 129 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,440 Gretchen Whitmer: before me made that easier for me, and women in 130 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:13,480 Gretchen Whitmer: my generation to be our authentic selves and to feel 131 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,200 Gretchen Whitmer: like we can show up as we are. But I think, 132 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,800 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, I often talk in sports analogies, now you 133 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,840 Gretchen Whitmer: know why, But you know, instead of looking at the 134 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,640 Gretchen Whitmer: one hundred yards down the field, looking at the next ten, 135 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,000 Gretchen Whitmer: And I think that's how I manage through that time. 136 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,000 Gretchen Whitmer: What do I need to do today or this week 137 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,440 Gretchen Whitmer: or this month to get through all of the pressures 138 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,360 Gretchen Whitmer: that I'm navigating as a member of the Sandwich generation, 139 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:38,440 Gretchen Whitmer: a new legislator. 140 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,240 ETS: Yeah, Otherwise it would just feel overwhelming. 141 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,400 Gretchen Whitmer: Yeah, I mean when you think about how where am 142 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,240 Gretchen Whitmer: I going to be? You know, how do I get 143 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,880 Gretchen Whitmer: that full one hundred yards? And you should always have 144 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,360 Gretchen Whitmer: a plan, but you got to focus on the now, 145 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,560 Gretchen Whitmer: and that's that you can take small bites and that's 146 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,000 Gretchen Whitmer: the easiest way to do it. And I think I 147 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:01,520 Gretchen Whitmer: definitely tapped into those that skillut the pandemic, especially when 148 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:04,960 Gretchen Whitmer: everything felt so overwhelming, but to do the next right thing. 149 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,280 Gretchen Whitmer: And I talk a little bit about doing the next 150 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:07,960 Gretchen Whitmer: right thing in the. 151 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,600 ETS: Book Oh Don't Why We're definitely the pandemic. That topic 152 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,960 ETS: we will cover. So a large part of this show 153 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,920 ETS: and the way we tell stories is the intersection of 154 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,560 ETS: the personal and professional, So trying to open up how 155 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,120 ETS: these personal things that happen in our lives end up 156 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,680 ETS: impacting our professional decision making. So at that time, how 157 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,079 ETS: did your version of success change or was it the same? 158 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,920 Gretchen Whitmer: Yeah, it's interesting. People often ask you, know what, when 159 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,760 Gretchen Whitmer: you had kids, did your opinions change? Did you change 160 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,920 Gretchen Whitmer: your values at all? And I would say no, not 161 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,679 Gretchen Whitmer: at all. My patients did I have zero patients for boloney? 162 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,800 Gretchen Whitmer: I because I don't have time to wait for someone 163 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:51,520 Gretchen Whitmer: else to fix an issue. I want to do it 164 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:53,480 Gretchen Whitmer: because I think about the world that my kids are 165 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,880 Gretchen Whitmer: growing up in, and that people their age are growing 166 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,360 Gretchen Whitmer: up in, and so so as I as I think 167 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,319 Gretchen Whitmer: about how we are navigating, you know, the chaos today 168 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:07,040 Gretchen Whitmer: or the crises of the last few years, Centering on 169 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,320 Gretchen Whitmer: that is what helps me stay true to who I 170 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:14,400 Gretchen Whitmer: am and why I'm doing this job, but also to 171 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,440 Gretchen Whitmer: keep me grounded. And nothing keeps you more grounded than 172 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,040 Gretchen Whitmer: kids who do not think you're cool, even when other 173 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:21,640 Gretchen Whitmer: people might. 174 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,079 ETS: I mean impressive that you even got her to come 175 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:30,319 ETS: with you. 176 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,880 Gretchen Whitmer: I begged her. We were at the White House for 177 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,680 Gretchen Whitmer: dinner last night, so she was my date and I 178 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:39,880 Gretchen Whitmer: begged her to come right. 179 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:43,200 ETS: Care to elaborate on that dinner. 180 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:57,199 Gretchen Whitmer: No, we'll leave it at that. 181 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,839 ETS: You went on to become the first woman to be 182 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,120 ETS: chosen a Senate minority leader in your state's history. Were 183 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,480 ETS: there moments during that time you thought, I mean there 184 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,960 ETS: must have been we were like, Okay, I'm super good 185 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,000 ETS: at this, like I'm nailing this. Like what were those 186 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:13,720 ETS: moments for. 187 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:15,520 Gretchen Whitmer: You when I felt like I was nailing ass? 188 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,600 ETS: Yeah, like I am amazing at being the state SENI 189 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,360 ETS: majority of the never you know, I remember my mom, 190 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,120 ETS: who I talk a lot about in the book. 191 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:30,120 Gretchen Whitmer: She was really a glass ceiling breaker. She was this blonde, 192 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,439 Gretchen Whitmer: blue eyed like little woman with this big personality, this 193 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:39,400 Gretchen Whitmer: large laugh. She just exuded such confidence and she was 194 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,880 Gretchen Whitmer: one of the she wrote all the book awards in 195 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,199 Gretchen Whitmer: her year. She graduated law school while she was raising 196 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:46,959 Gretchen Whitmer: us three. Like, she was just this powerhouse of a person. 197 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,760 Gretchen Whitmer: And I'll never forget her telling me that sometimes she 198 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,000 Gretchen Whitmer: was as one of the top people in the Attorney 199 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,360 Gretchen Whitmer: General's office in Michigan, she sometimes would sit there and think, 200 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I wonder if they're going to figure out that I'm 201 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,960 Gretchen Whitmer: not supposed to belong here. You know, that kind of 202 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,320 Gretchen Whitmer: imposter syndrome thing that that I think we all feel 203 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:05,480 Gretchen Whitmer: at certain points. 204 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,280 ETS: In time, and we done it right now. 205 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,960 Gretchen Whitmer: I mean, we don't come out of the womb thinking 206 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,920 Gretchen Whitmer: that we deserve to be, you know, the leader of 207 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:15,600 Gretchen Whitmer: the free world. 208 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:15,920 ETS: Right. 209 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,880 Gretchen Whitmer: We all put these criteria on ourselves. And that's not 210 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,400 Gretchen Whitmer: necessarily a bad thing. It keeps you humble. But it also, 211 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I think, is why I never during the time did 212 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,120 Gretchen Whitmer: I still marvel and people like governor. You know, it's 213 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,640 Gretchen Whitmer: just I feel really lucky to be where I'm at, 214 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,040 Gretchen Whitmer: and I know I'm not better than anyone else. And 215 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,040 Gretchen Whitmer: I talk a little bit about my dad. When I 216 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,400 Gretchen Whitmer: first got elected. He did an interview and he said, 217 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:47,040 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, Gretchen knows she's not special. And I saw that, 218 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,120 Gretchen Whitmer: and Brent, I thought, oh my god, people must think 219 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:52,520 Gretchen Whitmer: my dad hates me or something, or I have really 220 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:56,840 Gretchen Whitmer: low self esteem, or but he raised us to so 221 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:58,960 Gretchen Whitmer: that we didn't think we were better than anyone else. 222 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,160 Gretchen Whitmer: That's what he meant, and we don't. And I think 223 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,040 Gretchen Whitmer: I never felt like, Okay, I'm really killing it. I 224 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,000 Gretchen Whitmer: saw a job that needed to be done. I didn't 225 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,120 Gretchen Whitmer: see anyone stepping forward who wanted to take it on 226 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,800 Gretchen Whitmer: or who was going to be, you know, able to 227 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,360 Gretchen Whitmer: jump in and do what I thought needed to be done. So, 228 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,240 Gretchen Whitmer: like a lot of women, I think I just rolled 229 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:19,760 Gretchen Whitmer: up my sleeve and said, all right, there's a job 230 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:21,560 Gretchen Whitmer: that needs to be done, I'm going to do it. Yeah. 231 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,480 ETS: I do want to ask about your decision to run 232 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:25,600 ETS: for governor at the time that you did, because you 233 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,960 ETS: had passed on it in twenty fourteen and then you 234 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,960 ETS: decided to run. So what was that timing decision for you? 235 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,920 ETS: And again, like, what was your decision making process. 236 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,240 Gretchen Whitmer: Well, in twenty fourteen, you know, I was in the 237 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,120 Gretchen Whitmer: state Senate and some had asked if I might consider 238 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,920 Gretchen Whitmer: running for governor, and it just wasn't the right time 239 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:45,839 Gretchen Whitmer: for me. I was, you know, I was already the 240 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,720 Gretchen Whitmer: Senate Minority leader. I have two little kids at home 241 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,440 Gretchen Whitmer: as a divorce at that time, and I knew that 242 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,240 Gretchen Whitmer: it wasn't the right time. I had a big job 243 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:55,920 Gretchen Whitmer: and I wanted to see a focus on that. I 244 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,720 Gretchen Whitmer: left the legislature in twenty sixteen. We have term limits 245 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,200 Gretchen Whitmer: in Michigan. I served three two year terms in the 246 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,280 Gretchen Whitmer: House and then two four year terms in the Senate, 247 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,800 Gretchen Whitmer: and I was term limited out. It's lifetime ban, so 248 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,320 Gretchen Whitmer: you can't go back. And I really thought I was 249 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,160 Gretchen Whitmer: going to go into the private sector. And I taught 250 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,640 Gretchen Whitmer: both at the University of Michigan and Michigan State, which 251 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,000 Gretchen Whitmer: tells you I can bridge some divides or the biggest 252 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:23,079 Gretchen Whitmer: the biggest divide. And the Flint water crisis became public 253 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:29,400 Gretchen Whitmer: what had happened in Flint, decisions of government that had 254 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,360 Gretchen Whitmer: catastrophic impacts on people. And I was looking at the 255 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,839 Gretchen Whitmer: field of folks that were considering running and I thought, 256 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:38,680 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, none of them have been in state government. 257 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,680 Gretchen Whitmer: I know how to do this, and this needs to 258 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,080 Gretchen Whitmer: be fixed. And so that's really kind of what inspired 259 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,480 Gretchen Whitmer: me to run. But then Donald Trump won the state 260 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,679 Gretchen Whitmer: of Michigan in twenty sixteen, and I looked, you know, 261 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,040 Gretchen Whitmer: I couldn't believe that my state was played a pivotal 262 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,040 Gretchen Whitmer: role in that, and I thought, I got to get organized. 263 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:00,960 Gretchen Whitmer: I got to get out into this state and talk 264 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,240 Gretchen Whitmer: to people and find out what's on their minds, because 265 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,319 Gretchen Whitmer: it just was so hard to believe at the time, 266 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,360 Gretchen Whitmer: here we are. And so I got out. I got 267 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,280 Gretchen Whitmer: all across Michigan. Michigan's a big state, all right, I'm 268 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:18,080 Gretchen Whitmer: gonna get out my Michigan map. You're ready, Okay. So 269 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,600 Gretchen Whitmer: Michigan has two hands, and this is the lower Peninsula, 270 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,400 Gretchen Whitmer: this is the Upper Peninsula. I know people in Michigan 271 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,080 Gretchen Whitmer: or in Ohio who don't realize we have an upper Peninsula. 272 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,840 Gretchen Whitmer: It's not Canada, the fifty first state. It's still a 273 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,000 Gretchen Whitmer: part of Michigan. Okay, So I see we're really writing 274 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:38,480 Gretchen Whitmer: off Ohio anywaytisicadding. But when you're in Lansing, Michigan, the 275 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,680 Gretchen Whitmer: state capital, you're as close to Washington, d c. As 276 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,360 Gretchen Whitmer: you are to the western end of the Upper Peninsula. 277 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,280 Gretchen Whitmer: It's a big state. And so I figured I just 278 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,040 Gretchen Whitmer: got to get across the state and talk to people. 279 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,440 Gretchen Whitmer: And so my favorite thing to ask people was, if 280 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,320 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm fortunate enough to get elected governor, what could I 281 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,800 Gretchen Whitmer: do that'll make your life better? And the thing is 282 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,320 Gretchen Whitmer: when you ask people, they'll tell you you just got 283 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,760 Gretchen Whitmer: to listen. I don't think enough people do that, not 284 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,800 Gretchen Whitmer: just in political life, but anywhere, and over and over 285 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,520 Gretchen Whitmer: again people would say, I need you to fix the 286 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:17,240 Gretchen Whitmer: damn roads. Whether I was in the Upper Peninsula or 287 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:21,000 Gretchen Whitmer: downtown Detroit or on the West Side. That was the refrain, 288 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,000 Gretchen Whitmer: and I heard it over and over again, and so 289 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,760 Gretchen Whitmer: I started talking about the roads that way, and we're 290 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,800 Gretchen Whitmer: still working on fixing the damn roads in Michigan. But 291 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,440 Gretchen Whitmer: it was a conversation with a woman from Flint of 292 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,880 Gretchen Whitmer: actually I'm talking about Flint again. She I met her 293 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,240 Gretchen Whitmer: at the Detroit Children's Hospital, and you know, I was 294 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,160 Gretchen Whitmer: there and it's awkward to be a politician in a 295 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,960 Gretchen Whitmer: place where people don't expect you, and I wasn't sure 296 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,640 Gretchen Whitmer: people would want to talk to me at all. But 297 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,200 Gretchen Whitmer: this woman seemed, you know, friendly, and so I said, 298 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:51,840 Gretchen Whitmer: I got to ask you a question. So I asked 299 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,280 Gretchen Whitmer: her my question. If I'm fortunate enough to get elected, 300 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:55,160 Gretchen Whitmer: what could I do that I'll. 301 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:55,800 ETS: Make your life better? 302 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:57,960 Gretchen Whitmer: And she looked me there and she said, I just 303 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:03,440 Gretchen Whitmer: need you to fix the damn road. And I was 304 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,840 Gretchen Whitmer: taken aback a little bit, like we're going to children's hospital. 305 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:12,040 Gretchen Whitmer: I thought we're going to talk about healthcare or childcare education. 306 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,240 Gretchen Whitmer: So I said, okay, tell me more. I wanted to 307 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,600 Gretchen Whitmer: find out why is this the number one issue for you? 308 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:22,440 Gretchen Whitmer: And she explained she's three kids, driving back and forth 309 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:25,080 Gretchen Whitmer: from Detroit and Flint to see her one child in 310 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,160 Gretchen Whitmer: the hospital, hit a pothole, It damaged the room on 311 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:29,960 Gretchen Whitmer: her car. It took her off the road for a 312 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,320 Gretchen Whitmer: whole day, took a ton of money out of her 313 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,120 Gretchen Whitmer: rent and childcare that she wasn't planning to spend fixing 314 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,040 Gretchen Whitmer: her car. She missed the day with her son in Detroit, 315 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,200 Gretchen Whitmer: had to pay for childcare for the others who were 316 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:44,600 Gretchen Whitmer: at home. And so it was for me crystallized why 317 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,360 Gretchen Whitmer: the fundamentals are the most important thing, Because anyone who's 318 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,520 Gretchen Whitmer: on the margin gets failed if they can't drink the 319 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,200 Gretchen Whitmer: water coming out of their tap, or they have to 320 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,560 Gretchen Whitmer: be sidelined for a day because their car's not work, 321 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,440 Gretchen Whitmer: or have to find a new school or a tutor 322 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,560 Gretchen Whitmer: for a child if the schools aren't work. And that's 323 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,400 Gretchen Whitmer: why the fundamentals, the kitchen table issues, is what I've 324 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,200 Gretchen Whitmer: tried to stay focused on. And that's what I learned 325 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,080 Gretchen Whitmer: from the people in Michigan, getting all across the state 326 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,080 Gretchen Whitmer: and asking that question, well do. 327 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,200 ETS: You think that concept of fixed the damn roads? How 328 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,200 ETS: did you have success with that as a fundamental? I mean, 329 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,360 ETS: to your point, we still need to fix the roads, 330 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,920 ETS: something that I think that Democrats have really struggled with 331 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,959 ETS: is owning success in a way they can talk about it. 332 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,120 ETS: How have you been able to own that success when 333 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:32,720 ETS: dens acknowledgment there's still more work to be done. 334 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,359 Gretchen Whitmer: Yeah, so I ended up having to do a bond 335 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,160 Gretchen Whitmer: so that we could keep fixing roads. I'm still working 336 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,400 Gretchen Whitmer: on getting my legislature to help me get a real 337 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,359 Gretchen Whitmer: long term plane over the finish line. The thing about 338 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,760 Gretchen Whitmer: roads is that you have billboards everywhere because they're called 339 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,680 Gretchen Whitmer: orange barrels, and so when you're fixing roads, people see 340 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:54,600 Gretchen Whitmer: the orange barrels and they know that the work is 341 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,639 Gretchen Whitmer: being done, and that helps kind of advertise itself. But 342 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:03,080 Gretchen Whitmer: to your point about Democrats failing on the messaging front, 343 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,159 Gretchen Whitmer: I think that that's one of the big takeaways from 344 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,920 Gretchen Whitmer: this last cycle, and I think that that's getting away 345 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,639 Gretchen Whitmer: from taking ownership of the things that we did get done. 346 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,960 Gretchen Whitmer: I think it was a real you know, we did 347 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:15,679 Gretchen Whitmer: allows your job of that in this last cycle. 348 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,359 ETS: Yeah, I'm going to give that. 349 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:22,399 Gretchen Whitmer: At I think that's a great one. 350 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,520 ETS: How do you think, how do you think it could 351 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:26,400 ETS: have been done differently? 352 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,760 Gretchen Whitmer: You can't tell people how to feel, you know, and 353 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,600 Gretchen Whitmer: so I think around the economy, we can't tell people Okay, 354 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,560 Gretchen Whitmer: look at what's going on, and you know, in the market, 355 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,600 Gretchen Whitmer: look at the how much better our inflation is than 356 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,560 Gretchen Whitmer: European countries. You know, that doesn't fix the problem that 357 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,439 Gretchen Whitmer: people are having when they see their prices up and 358 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,679 Gretchen Whitmer: guess what prices are still up? Everybody right. I know 359 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,640 Gretchen Whitmer: we're talking about Greenland, but we should still be talking 360 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,480 Gretchen Whitmer: about groceries because that's that's where the rubber hits the road. 361 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:03,760 Gretchen Whitmer: And so it's peers that there's a disconnect between what 362 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,080 Gretchen Whitmer: people are really feeling and need and how we're talking 363 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,919 Gretchen Whitmer: about it. It's not that we have to change our values. 364 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,040 Gretchen Whitmer: It's not that we have to change you know, what 365 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,879 Gretchen Whitmer: we have been able to do, but how we've talked 366 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,480 Gretchen Whitmer: about it has been completely missing the mark. And I 367 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,720 Gretchen Whitmer: think it's being disconnected from people and spending time with 368 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,280 Gretchen Whitmer: real people and asking them what's going on in your life? 369 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:27,280 Gretchen Whitmer: What can I do that'll make your life better, and 370 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:27,840 Gretchen Whitmer: then doing it. 371 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,520 ETS: After the break, we dive into what pivoting on the 372 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,919 ETS: spot is all about. As Governor Whitmer recounts one of 373 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:42,280 ETS: the most difficult and formative years twenty twenty. She dealt 374 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,679 ETS: with a global pandemic, catastrophic flooding, a racial reckoning, and 375 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:50,720 ETS: a plot to kidnap and kill her more after the break. 376 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,359 ETS: So the show's all about pivoting, meeting the moment where 377 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,800 ETS: you are, how you change, what changes in yourself to 378 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,720 ETS: rise to that occasion and adapt in that moment. Twenty 379 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,080 ETS: twenty was a real year for you, So can you 380 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,320 ETS: tell us about your mindset, like how you worked through it, 381 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,119 ETS: how your work shifted through the ups and quite frankly 382 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:29,560 ETS: mostly downs of twenty twenty. 383 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:35,480 Gretchen Whitmer: Remind me what happened in twenty twenty. You know, when 384 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,520 Gretchen Whitmer: I had my kids, they're like eighteen months apart, and 385 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,120 Gretchen Whitmer: when I realized, oh my gosh, one's going to graduate 386 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:43,119 Gretchen Whitmer: in twenty twenty and the other's going to be the 387 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:46,080 Gretchen Whitmer: class of twenty twenty one. What great classes to graduate 388 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,159 Gretchen Whitmer: literally the worst two classes to graduate from high school 389 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:55,800 Gretchen Whitmer: for their whole generation. You know. As the pandemic hit Michigan, 390 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:00,600 Gretchen Whitmer: we were one of the earlier places. Detroit, New York, 391 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:05,520 Gretchen Whitmer: Chicago and New Orleans were kind of the hot spots 392 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,240 Gretchen Whitmer: for a long time. Had just an incredible amount of 393 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:13,520 Gretchen Whitmer: loss of life, overwhelmed hospitals. It was really, really hard, 394 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,199 Gretchen Whitmer: and I know none of us wants to relive it, 395 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,840 Gretchen Whitmer: but just to kind of remember what was happening. We 396 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,560 Gretchen Whitmer: had refrigerated trucks outside of our hospitals because there were 397 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:24,600 Gretchen Whitmer: so many corpses, you know, people that lost the battle 398 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,880 Gretchen Whitmer: to COVID that couldn't be buried or cremated right away, 399 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,880 Gretchen Whitmer: but it had to be you know, refrigerating. It was awful, 400 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:37,120 Gretchen Whitmer: and it was really challenging because we did not have 401 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,920 Gretchen Whitmer: help at the federal level, and navigating that was I 402 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,400 Gretchen Whitmer: think one of the trying to do the right thing 403 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,240 Gretchen Whitmer: for people. That's why I do this work. I love people. 404 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,440 Gretchen Whitmer: My instinct always is to run to where the problem 405 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,160 Gretchen Whitmer: is and to see how can I help. And that's 406 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,040 Gretchen Whitmer: the worst thing you could do in a pandemic, because 407 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,399 Gretchen Whitmer: you just add to the problem. Have to let the 408 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:01,600 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, experts do the work, but give them the 409 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,960 Gretchen Whitmer: supplies that they need. And we were really struggling to 410 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:06,320 Gretchen Whitmer: do that. And I remember we were on a call 411 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,359 Gretchen Whitmer: with the White House and we were told to go 412 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:14,240 Gretchen Whitmer: find all the supplies ourselves. And I went on television 413 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,920 Gretchen Whitmer: and I said, I'm not getting the supplies I need 414 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,919 Gretchen Whitmer: from the federal government. There's no federal strategy here, and 415 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,720 Gretchen Whitmer: I need masks for my doctors and gloves and etc. Nurses, 416 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:31,960 Gretchen Whitmer: respiratory therapists, and you know, I got I've made someone 417 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:36,280 Gretchen Whitmer: really unhappy with my observations. But we started getting help. 418 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,280 Gretchen Whitmer: People were reaching in and starting to help, and so 419 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,960 Gretchen Whitmer: it was worth it. But I think it was just 420 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,719 Gretchen Whitmer: one of those moments where every time I saw a 421 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,520 Gretchen Whitmer: tweet or me getting singled out, my heart sank. Not 422 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:51,760 Gretchen Whitmer: because it hurt my feelings, but because I was worried 423 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,280 Gretchen Whitmer: that it would impede my ability to get assistance for 424 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,639 Gretchen Whitmer: the people of Michigan. And that was all I cared about. 425 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,760 ETS: Will you now that again we are we are right 426 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:05,359 ETS: back here, Will you approach the relationship with the federal 427 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:06,560 ETS: government differently? Now? 428 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,480 Gretchen Whitmer: I stand by what I did. I don't regret what 429 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,879 Gretchen Whitmer: I did. If I could go back in time with 430 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,680 Gretchen Whitmer: the knowledge I have now, would I and any governor 431 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,280 Gretchen Whitmer: have done something different? Of course. But I was fighting 432 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:20,840 Gretchen Whitmer: for the people in Michigan and I'm never going to 433 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,199 Gretchen Whitmer: apologize for that. That's my job when it comes to 434 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,520 Gretchen Whitmer: the moment that we're in. Now, you know I am. 435 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:29,679 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm going to be the governor of Michigan for the 436 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,560 Gretchen Whitmer: next two years. The State of Michigan elected the president again. 437 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,639 Gretchen Whitmer: They elected me again, and if I can find common 438 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:39,639 Gretchen Whitmer: ground on things, I'm going to try to do that. 439 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,080 Gretchen Whitmer: But I'm also not going to shy away from fights 440 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,000 Gretchen Whitmer: that matter when when I need to. That's my job 441 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:47,080 Gretchen Whitmer: as Michigan governor. 442 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,520 ETS: You did elicit quite a response in that moment, not 443 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:03,520 ETS: just on the federal side, but within Michigan. Do you remember, 444 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,760 ETS: I imagine you do remember, you know what was going 445 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,359 ETS: through your head at that moment as you looked outside 446 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,600 ETS: your office in the capitol, you saw they were protesters 447 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,840 ETS: and they began to storm into the Michigan State Capitol. 448 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,880 Gretchen Whitmer: Yeah. So there was this group that came together during 449 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,879 Gretchen Whitmer: the pandemic who were mad that, you know, I had 450 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,120 Gretchen Whitmer: told them to wear masks and that we were trying 451 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,680 Gretchen Whitmer: to keep people safe, and they created this group called 452 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:34,320 Gretchen Whitmer: Project Gridlock, bankrolled by the DeVos family in Michigan, by 453 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:39,040 Gretchen Whitmer: the way. And I was down at my office in 454 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,560 Gretchen Whitmer: the Romney Building and sitting there. The State Capitol was 455 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,280 Gretchen Whitmer: across the street, and I was giving my press conference, 456 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,720 Gretchen Whitmer: which we did multiple, you know, two or three times 457 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:53,800 Gretchen Whitmer: a week, depending on what was happening, and they didn't 458 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,040 Gretchen Whitmer: the protesters didn't know that I was in the building. 459 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:57,960 Gretchen Whitmer: So my office is not actually. 460 00:24:57,640 --> 00:24:59,399 ETS: In the Capitol. It's across the street. 461 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,439 Gretchen Whitmer: I think most people think that the that the office 462 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,679 Gretchen Whitmer: is in the Capitol. And so I could stand in 463 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,679 Gretchen Whitmer: the window one floor away from people, and what I 464 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,199 Gretchen Whitmer: saw was really shocking. I knew that there was going 465 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,240 Gretchen Whitmer: to be a protest. We weren't trying to stop the protest. 466 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,840 Gretchen Whitmer: We said, just wear a mask day six feet apart, 467 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,200 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, you could, you have the right to protest. 468 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,359 Gretchen Whitmer: But when I looked out the window, people had showed 469 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:29,840 Gretchen Whitmer: up with Confederate flags and Nazi symbols. There were signs 470 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,720 Gretchen Whitmer: that said Hyle Whitmer, and there was a dark haired 471 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:39,960 Gretchen Whitmer: barbie hanging from a noose, and it was really stunning. 472 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,760 Gretchen Whitmer: It took my breath away. There was there's a picture 473 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,480 Gretchen Whitmer: in the book I took with my phone from the 474 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:49,280 Gretchen Whitmer: window that said it said something like, Gretchen Whitmer is 475 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,879 Gretchen Whitmer: the reason we need the Second Amendment, you know. And 476 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,959 Gretchen Whitmer: this was the stuff that I saw from my office window. 477 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,439 Gretchen Whitmer: And I remember taking the picture and looking and seeing 478 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,960 Gretchen Whitmer: this so clearly, and then realizing, oh my god, I 479 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:05,040 Gretchen Whitmer: better get out of this window, you know, like hello, 480 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:10,000 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, they were had their guns and so it 481 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,720 Gretchen Whitmer: was one of those moments I'd taken all these pictures. 482 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,320 Gretchen Whitmer: I was looking and then I thought, what am I doing, 483 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,840 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, and then went down and gave my press conference. 484 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,480 Gretchen Whitmer: But it's you know, we saw the capital of Michigan 485 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:27,240 Gretchen Whitmer: get overtaken by protesters with guns before January sixth. Happened here, 486 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,359 Gretchen Whitmer: and I remember watching January sixth, and everyone said, how 487 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:33,520 Gretchen Whitmer: could this happen? We're so surprised, and I'm like, well, 488 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,040 Gretchen Whitmer: this happened here about nine months beforehand. So I think 489 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:44,240 Gretchen Whitmer: the rhetoric and the the willingness of leaders to encourage 490 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:49,119 Gretchen Whitmer: people to take up arms and threaten their fellow Americans 491 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:53,879 Gretchen Whitmer: is so dangerous. And that's why when when Donald Trump 492 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,120 Gretchen Whitmer: was shot in Pennsylvania, I put a statement out right 493 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,520 Gretchen Whitmer: away because it's not okay, you know, no matter who 494 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,560 Gretchen Whitmer: the victim is. I think there's a. 495 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:06,439 ETS: Lot to be learned from in this moment when you 496 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:11,280 ETS: came into the governor's office, Republicans held both houses, and 497 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:16,000 ETS: yet you still pushed through and forged on. How do 498 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:19,440 ETS: your objectives change if you're in that moment? How does 499 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,240 ETS: your strategy change if you're in that moment? What is 500 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,600 ETS: potentially applicable to us. Now, that's a good question. 501 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:29,720 Gretchen Whitmer: So you know, my first term it was completely Republican 502 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:34,240 Gretchen Whitmer: controlled House and Senate. In my second term, I won 503 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,680 Gretchen Whitmer: by almost eleven points and we flipped both the House 504 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,840 Gretchen Whitmer: and Senate for the first time in forty years, which 505 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:47,480 Gretchen Whitmer: was amazing. So while I was in the legislature it 506 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:51,199 Gretchen Whitmer: was all Republican controlled. Then as governor it was Republican legislature, 507 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:55,360 Gretchen Whitmer: democratic governor. Then it was all Democratic controlled. Now we're 508 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:58,840 Gretchen Whitmer: back to fifty to fifty that the House is Republican controlled, 509 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,399 Gretchen Whitmer: the Senators a credit controlled. And I think part of 510 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,280 Gretchen Whitmer: being of that woman from Michigan is Michigan is a 511 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,600 Gretchen Whitmer: state that is always in the national eye during our 512 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:13,840 Gretchen Whitmer: presidentials because we are the most diverse swing state in 513 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,399 Gretchen Whitmer: the country. We go back and forth. We have this 514 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,159 Gretchen Whitmer: tendency to do that, and I think that's not a 515 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,200 Gretchen Whitmer: bad thing because it forces you to make a seat 516 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,800 Gretchen Whitmer: at the table and to try to hammer things out. 517 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,840 Gretchen Whitmer: But now that we've got fairly drawn districts, it will 518 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:31,840 Gretchen Whitmer: continue to go back and forth instead of being one 519 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:34,600 Gretchen Whitmer: party controlled at the state level for so long. My 520 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:39,720 Gretchen Whitmer: strategy in this situation, similar to how it was with Democrats, 521 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:42,440 Gretchen Whitmer: in All Control and Republicans in All Control is to 522 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,400 Gretchen Whitmer: continue to host the quadrant leaders coming together, try to 523 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,400 Gretchen Whitmer: find common ground, pull people in and build bridges. You know, 524 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:54,600 Gretchen Whitmer: I've love to the Mackanaw Bridge is the symbol of 525 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:59,640 Gretchen Whitmer: my campaign. It stretches between the two peninsulas. Right. Five 526 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,240 Gretchen Whitmer: mile long suspension bridge was the longest built at the time. 527 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,640 Gretchen Whitmer: And you know, I'm proud that my focus is building bridges, 528 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:11,240 Gretchen Whitmer: not walls. We want to create opportunity to connect people 529 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,160 Gretchen Whitmer: and I'm always going to come at any problem with 530 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:16,200 Gretchen Whitmer: that mindset. 531 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,200 ETS: You've said that to be a successful politician you need 532 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,400 ETS: to have a thick skin and a short memory, and 533 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,880 ETS: you tell a great anecdote about sending cake with a 534 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:30,440 ETS: bat to someone who had given you made some disparaging comments. 535 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:35,960 ETS: I really prefer a long grudge hold myself. How can 536 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:41,920 ETS: I overcome that? Like you know, it's a blessing to 537 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:42,800 ETS: have a short memory. 538 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,760 Gretchen Whitmer: And in this business, everyone in my family seems to 539 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,280 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, we do our thing and then we move on, 540 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,120 Gretchen Whitmer: and that's been helpful. The worst thing is a politician 541 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,200 Gretchen Whitmer: with a long memory and thin skin, because they're always 542 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:00,480 Gretchen Whitmer: out for retribution or looking for a battle. So I'm 543 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,800 Gretchen Whitmer: not sure how to help you cultivate thicker skin, but 544 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,320 Gretchen Whitmer: I'll think on that. Oh no, no, I have thick skin, 545 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:06,200 Gretchen Whitmer: but a long. 546 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,040 ETS: Memory a bad thing, though. I'll come back when you're 547 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:11,080 ETS: least expecting it. 548 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,080 Gretchen Whitmer: Well, they say, bury the hashet, but keep the handle 549 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,840 Gretchen Whitmer: sticking up right that. 550 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,440 ETS: We were just talking about this backstage. You know, people 551 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,320 ETS: keep coming up and saying what do we do? Like, 552 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,040 ETS: how do we stay optimistic? What should we be doing? 553 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:33,280 ETS: How are you staying optimistic in this moment? 554 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,080 Gretchen Whitmer: Well, you know, and I confessed in the back it's hard, 555 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,640 Gretchen Whitmer: you know. After the election, I like, I think a 556 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,400 Gretchen Whitmer: lot of people wanted to turn the TV off for 557 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,040 Gretchen Whitmer: a while and escape it. I hunkered down in December 558 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,240 Gretchen Whitmer: and Lancing. We had a lot of snow and my 559 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,000 Gretchen Whitmer: family was all around, and I might have watched a 560 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,320 Gretchen Whitmer: few seasons of Dexter. It got to a point where 561 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:01,000 Gretchen Whitmer: my kids are like, are you okay? Are you onto 562 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:02,680 Gretchen Whitmer: this season's Traders yet? No? 563 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:04,560 ETS: But I've heard it's great. 564 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,120 Gretchen Whitmer: But you know, one of the things I know about 565 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:12,920 Gretchen Whitmer: myself is if I isolate, I get more anxious. I 566 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,320 Gretchen Whitmer: need to be doing something. I need to feel like 567 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,000 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm doing something that matters. And I was on a 568 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,840 Gretchen Whitmer: flight the other day and the flight attendant came up 569 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:25,200 Gretchen Whitmer: and she said, I'm so worried and I'm I'm talking 570 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,320 Gretchen Whitmer: to my therapist. What can I do? You know? And 571 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,800 Gretchen Whitmer: I said, well, you know, my my advice is to 572 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:32,640 Gretchen Whitmer: find something. 573 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,040 ETS: That you can do in your community. 574 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:36,880 Gretchen Whitmer: We can make a difference. Whether it's a small thing. 575 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:41,560 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm watching some of these town halls in Georgia, people 576 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:50,200 Gretchen Whitmer: are speaking out. It's making a difference. And if it's 577 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:54,520 Gretchen Whitmer: volunteering at your you know, at a women's health clinic, 578 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,080 Gretchen Whitmer: or it is simply helping, you know, people who need, 579 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,840 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, some help, reading to you kids, are visiting 580 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,440 Gretchen Whitmer: with you know, people who don't get visitors. I mean, 581 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,880 Gretchen Whitmer: I think that's there's ways that each of us can 582 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:11,120 Gretchen Whitmer: do something right now that will help us feel like 583 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,280 Gretchen Whitmer: we're making a little bit of a difference, will keep 584 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:18,160 Gretchen Whitmer: us activated and wear us outsort we go to bed tired. 585 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:20,440 ETS: I was sharing with you that I live in a 586 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,400 ETS: Republican district and my member of Congress isn't holding town halls, 587 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,640 ETS: so we have to get a little more creative that way. 588 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,320 Gretchen Whitmer: Yep, but I believe you can. 589 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,920 ETS: I appreciate that he'll come back eventually, and I won't 590 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:35,600 ETS: forget she. 591 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,680 Gretchen Whitmer: Has a long memory. You know. 592 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,400 ETS: The chasm feels so large between the parties right now, 593 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,200 ETS: and I actually feel in some ways it's less about 594 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:52,240 ETS: political affiliation and more about information versus non information. As 595 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,920 ETS: someone who won in double jeds in twenty twenty two, 596 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:57,320 ETS: how did you break through to those people? 597 00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:57,520 Gretchen Whitmer: Like? 598 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,480 ETS: How do you you obviously want over people who are 599 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:04,600 ETS: more than just democratically affiliated. How do you break through 600 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,280 ETS: when there's not there's not a clear information path. 601 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:12,760 Gretchen Whitmer: Right now, we've been really analyzing how people get their information, 602 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,960 Gretchen Whitmer: and we've kind of reconfigured our all of our efforts 603 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,760 Gretchen Whitmer: toward toward information dissemination. One of the things that we 604 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,680 Gretchen Whitmer: do is, you know, someone asked me, do you visit? 605 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:26,880 Gretchen Whitmer: Do you think of yourself as an influencer because we've 606 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,200 Gretchen Whitmer: got like a great social media game. I think it's 607 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:32,440 Gretchen Whitmer: not me bragging because it is not me. I don't 608 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:32,920 Gretchen Whitmer: even know. 609 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:34,360 ETS: The passwords, trust me. 610 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I just do what the young people on the staff suggest, 611 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:42,520 Gretchen Whitmer: and most times it hits. Sometimes it's a miss. But 612 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:46,840 Gretchen Whitmer: you know, I think that it's important to meet people 613 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,160 Gretchen Whitmer: where they are, and that's I think podcasts are really important. 614 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:54,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I think that non traditional ways to reach people is 615 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,240 Gretchen Whitmer: the way that we can cut through a lot of 616 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,960 Gretchen Whitmer: the noise. But it's very challenging. There's so much misinformation 617 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:05,480 Gretchen Whitmer: out there. There's so many I think companies and interests 618 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:10,279 Gretchen Whitmer: that are keen on redirecting people into places where they 619 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,319 Gretchen Whitmer: don't intend to be or aren't really looking for. And 620 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:17,360 Gretchen Whitmer: so we've gotten really creative. We've been I think, relentless 621 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:22,480 Gretchen Whitmer: about getting our message out and creative. You know, Big 622 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:24,880 Gretchen Whitmer: Gretch was a nickname that I got during the pandemic. 623 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,640 Gretchen Whitmer: It's I'm named after both my grandmothers, Gretchen and Esther 624 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,520 Gretchen Whitmer: grandma Gretchen always said, never let anyone call you gretch. 625 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:39,799 Gretchen Whitmer: Gretch rhymes with wretch and that ain't pretty, and so 626 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,440 Gretchen Whitmer: I always had this aversion. If you called me gretch, 627 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,560 Gretchen Whitmer: was I just oough? And I don't know many women 628 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,440 Gretchen Whitmer: who like the big on the front of their nickname, right, 629 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,880 Gretchen Whitmer: so I was. I was in the office, we were 630 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,200 Gretchen Whitmer: getting ready to do one of my press conferences during 631 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:00,799 Gretchen Whitmer: the pandemic, and someone said, you, you know this big 632 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:06,160 Gretchen Whitmer: Gretch thing that everyone's calling you in Detroit And I'm like, huh, 633 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,200 Gretchen Whitmer: And they said, I said, what does this mean. And 634 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,040 Gretchen Whitmer: so this woman on my staff is Shaquila Myers, who 635 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:14,200 Gretchen Whitmer: I've worked most of the last twenty five years with her. 636 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,560 Gretchen Whitmer: She's like, oh, no, Governor, you don't understand Big Gretch. 637 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:21,520 Gretchen Whitmer: It's trending in Detroit. It's your new nickname that detroiters 638 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,279 Gretchen Whitmer: have given you. And it's like they've given you the 639 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:28,200 Gretchen Whitmer: key to the city. You've got the nickname. And then 640 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:31,560 Gretchen Whitmer: this rap came out. But so Big Grutch became this 641 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,840 Gretchen Whitmer: thing and it's hilarious, and now it's my favorite nickname, 642 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:35,760 Gretchen Whitmer: which most of my family members are like, I cannot 643 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,280 Gretchen Whitmer: believe that this is your favorite nickname now, Big Grutch. 644 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:44,160 Gretchen Whitmer: But before the movie, the Barbie movie came out, this 645 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:49,160 Gretchen Whitmer: woman on my team, who's young and creative and brilliant, said, 646 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,840 Gretchen Whitmer: let's grab a Barbie. We'll grab the America Ferrera Barbie 647 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,720 Gretchen Whitmer: and give her a haircut like yours, and we'll call. 648 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:57,480 ETS: Her a little Gretch. 649 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:05,000 Gretchen Whitmer: And I mean, we got awards for this campaign. It's 650 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:09,240 Gretchen Whitmer: a wildless thing, a little Gretch in her pink GM 651 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:15,880 Gretchen Whitmer: corvettes made in Detroit with little pink traffic cones, fixing 652 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:20,120 Gretchen Whitmer: the damn roads, giving a speech at a little podium 653 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:24,839 Gretchen Whitmer: that Julia whittled. She whittled a little podium for little 654 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,040 Gretchen Whitmer: gretch to give a speech at. But we call it 655 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:32,520 Gretchen Whitmer: like giving people their vegetables with the little fun social media. 656 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,000 Gretchen Whitmer: So we talked about the budget with a barbie and 657 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,360 Gretchen Whitmer: like people saw it and they understood they learned something 658 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,680 Gretchen Whitmer: at the same time. So you know, I'm not cool, 659 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:45,360 Gretchen Whitmer: Like I said, I don't know the passwords, but I 660 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:48,720 Gretchen Whitmer: got a phenomenal team and I trust them and ninety 661 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,040 Gretchen Whitmer: nine out of one hundred times that's great. And every 662 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:53,680 Gretchen Whitmer: once in a while I get totally roasted because I 663 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:58,200 Gretchen Whitmer: did something. Cringe right, honey, we. 664 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:04,719 ETS: Got a big nood on that one. Thank you the way. 665 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:06,920 ETS: I love the fact that someone asked if you're an influencer, 666 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:14,520 ETS: and you're like, I'm the govenor this new form of 667 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,560 ETS: media of meeting people where there are, where they are, 668 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,640 ETS: people are choosing what they consume. That's what I think 669 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:23,480 ETS: the hardest part of it is that you have to 670 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:27,120 ETS: actually get in front of them when they're choosing similar 671 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,480 ETS: forms of media. That's what I think the hardest part is. 672 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:34,759 ETS: So I feel like most of the conversations of I 673 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,080 ETS: guess what we'll call like the persuadables or uninformed or 674 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,879 ETS: differently informed. I guess because of term we can use now. 675 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,040 ETS: But you know, it's happening with people that are close 676 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,000 ETS: to us. Yeah, Like it's a face to face conversation, 677 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:50,000 ETS: it's family, it's in our table, Like we really got 678 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:53,760 ETS: to get in there. How do we give us advice? 679 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:56,560 ETS: Like how do we have those conversations right now without 680 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,719 ETS: just a massive eye roll and say, I don't know 681 00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:00,600 ETS: where you're getting your information from. 682 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,319 Gretchen Whitmer: I think it's it starts with asking the question. You know, 683 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,400 Gretchen Whitmer: I really do think that listening is a superpower and 684 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:10,799 Gretchen Whitmer: it's really important no matter what walk of life, but 685 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,880 Gretchen Whitmer: especially important if you're going to be a public servant. 686 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,920 Gretchen Whitmer: Your job is to represent the people. How can you 687 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:18,880 Gretchen Whitmer: do that if you don't know what the what they're thinking, 688 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,800 Gretchen Whitmer: what's on their minds, what's what's standing between them and 689 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,400 Gretchen Whitmer: whatever goal they have or need that isn't yet met. 690 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,600 Gretchen Whitmer: And so I you know, even with with people who 691 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,680 Gretchen Whitmer: are on the other side of the aisle, if you 692 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:35,840 Gretchen Whitmer: can connect on something by showing some genuine interest in them, 693 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:40,160 Gretchen Whitmer: it opens up a possibility for common ground that you 694 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:43,359 Gretchen Whitmer: can build off of. And I really it sounds maybe 695 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:46,680 Gretchen Whitmer: sophomoric to be that simple. But I think that's a 696 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,280 Gretchen Whitmer: that's a good start. You know, My goal, of course, 697 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:54,799 Gretchen Whitmer: is to find common ground on my side of the fence, Right, 698 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:59,239 Gretchen Whitmer: come on over. But you can't you can't be persuasive 699 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,080 Gretchen Whitmer: if you don't have and you can't have credibility if 700 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,240 Gretchen Whitmer: you don't have something to start from. 701 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,920 ETS: Yeah. Well, I think this question of what is authentic 702 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:11,759 ETS: for women in power, and it's not just in politics, 703 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:17,120 ETS: it's across the board that what is authentic is really challenging, 704 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:19,960 ETS: and I think we're still unpacking it. I'm actually so 705 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:23,040 ETS: glad that I saw Jennifer Palmery here because what she 706 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:24,960 ETS: said to me after twenty sixteen. We were in the 707 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,239 ETS: office one day, and she said that it was too 708 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:32,600 ETS: hard for voters to find Hillary what they considered authentic 709 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,440 ETS: because she had spent her entire life being qualified to 710 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:39,120 ETS: be at that table and proving that she was qualified 711 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:42,080 ETS: to be at the table. So I think that she 712 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:46,000 ETS: in many ways broke that glass ceiling for many of 713 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,279 ETS: us of the generation of women who had to come 714 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,399 ETS: up in a different kind of environment. And I think 715 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,680 ETS: it gave Vice President Harris an opportunity to be a 716 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:59,879 ETS: different kind of world's leader. But I think it's still 717 00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:01,840 ETS: a I think we still don't know what it means. 718 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:04,600 ETS: So you know, you're this this version of this book 719 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:08,880 ETS: is specifically for young women, for young men, for young adults. 720 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,040 ETS: And you talk about being authentic, and you are very 721 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:14,520 ETS: authentic in this book, and really you really give us 722 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:18,359 ETS: some great stuff out there. But how do you think 723 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,400 ETS: that we can both honor that part of ourselves it 724 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,120 ETS: feels authentic, but lead and be chosen to lead in 725 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:27,920 ETS: this moment where we're still not one hundred percent there. 726 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:30,920 Gretchen Whitmer: We're not. We've made We've come a long way, though, 727 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:35,160 Gretchen Whitmer: And you know, I'm always very mindful that the only 728 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:39,439 Gretchen Whitmer: reason I can show up as I am is because 729 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,400 Gretchen Whitmer: there are so many women who walk through this fire 730 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:43,960 Gretchen Whitmer: before me and made it easier for me. I think 731 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,560 Gretchen Whitmer: about Hillary Clinton. I think about you know, Jennifer Granholm 732 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,280 Gretchen Whitmer: was our first female governor in the state of Michigan, 733 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,040 Gretchen Whitmer: and she wrote I think in one of her books, 734 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:55,799 Gretchen Whitmer: or maybe it was just an interview that I read, 735 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,319 Gretchen Whitmer: but about how you know she didn't say this, but 736 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:04,520 Gretchen Whitmer: I'll say he's a very attractive woman and she always 737 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:07,080 Gretchen Whitmer: felt like she needed to wear her hair very short 738 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:11,239 Gretchen Whitmer: and wear pants suits you know, to be taken seriously. 739 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,279 Gretchen Whitmer: And you know what, I show up in a leather 740 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:19,680 Gretchen Whitmer: jacket now, and I can show up and talk like 741 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:23,399 Gretchen Whitmer: a normal person, not have to be have everything feel 742 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:26,360 Gretchen Whitmer: like it's absolutely perfect and sanitized the way that Hillary 743 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,960 Gretchen Whitmer: Clinton had to just just to have some credibility in 744 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,000 Gretchen Whitmer: a room. So I feel really lucky that I can show. 745 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:33,400 ETS: Up that way. 746 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:35,839 Gretchen Whitmer: I still have to worry about things that my male 747 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,040 Gretchen Whitmer: counterparts don't. I still give a State of the States 748 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,640 Gretchen Whitmer: speech and people talk more about the dress that I 749 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:46,160 Gretchen Whitmer: wore than the words that I uttered, and that's maddening. 750 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:50,640 Gretchen Whitmer: But I'm mindful that when I own my space, it 751 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,120 Gretchen Whitmer: makes it easier for other women to do that too. 752 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:58,000 Gretchen Whitmer: We saw that in the pandemic with my Secretary of State, 753 00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:01,880 Gretchen Whitmer: who was under the gun with all of the pressures 754 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:06,640 Gretchen Whitmer: around the election. My Attorney General who was in court 755 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:09,920 Gretchen Whitmer: battling on all of our behalfs every day. We're all women, 756 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:13,000 Gretchen Whitmer: and when each of us took heat, it made it 757 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:15,560 Gretchen Whitmer: easier for the other to stand in the breach. And 758 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:18,320 Gretchen Whitmer: I think that that's something that as I think about 759 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,040 Gretchen Whitmer: how I show up and the women who are coming 760 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,359 Gretchen Whitmer: in or might think about going into this work. I 761 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:26,080 Gretchen Whitmer: hope that I'm making it easier for them to show 762 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:30,560 Gretchen Whitmer: up as they are and to be their authentic selves, because, gosh, 763 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:34,880 Gretchen Whitmer: if we've not learned anything over the last ten years, 764 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:39,440 Gretchen Whitmer: it's that people, for whatever reason, need to see something 765 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:44,560 Gretchen Whitmer: real that they feel like lots of politicians don't give them. 766 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,719 Gretchen Whitmer: And showing up as you are is the most powerful thing. 767 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,839 Gretchen Whitmer: I think, Anne Frankly, who's got energy to be something 768 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:54,560 Gretchen Whitmer: you're not anymore? It sounds exhausting, it is. 769 00:42:57,680 --> 00:42:59,960 ETS: We're going to take a quick break before we hear 770 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:04,200 ETS: about Governor Whitmer's latest book, release, True Gretch Young Adult edition. 771 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:07,360 ETS: We'll talk about why she felt compelled to release a 772 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,200 ETS: different version and get her insights on the important things 773 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:15,560 ETS: like is America ready for a woman president? And who 774 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:18,200 ETS: will win the Super Bowl next year? Stay tuned. 775 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:30,399 Gretchen Whitmer: This book is the. 776 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:33,880 ETS: Young adult version of your book? Why a young adult 777 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:37,360 ETS: version and why now? What are you hoping to deliver 778 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:39,520 ETS: to this audience that was different than the first edition. 779 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,719 Gretchen Whitmer: So when I wrote the first book, one of the 780 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,239 Gretchen Whitmer: things that happened is I was kind of getting around 781 00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:47,880 Gretchen Whitmer: talking about it. Was people would tell me I bought 782 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:52,440 Gretchen Whitmer: copies for my kids or my grandkids. It's a quick read. 783 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:58,360 Gretchen Whitmer: It's ten chapters, short vignettes, but real and humor, but 784 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,360 Gretchen Whitmer: also lessons that have helped keep me positive when I 785 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,880 Gretchen Whitmer: ran for reelection, you know, after a pandemic, after a 786 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:10,960 Gretchen Whitmer: plot to kidnap and kill me, after demonstrations for racial justice, 787 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,839 Gretchen Whitmer: in the wake of George Floyd's murder, and the incredible 788 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:18,600 Gretchen Whitmer: crises you know of flooding and polar vortex, all the 789 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:24,040 Gretchen Whitmer: things thirty two recall attempts. I was counting that one. 790 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:29,120 Gretchen Whitmer: After so short on that heavy stuff. People would understandably say, 791 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:32,560 Gretchen Whitmer: why do you want to run again? And why do 792 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:35,600 Gretchen Whitmer: you still feel optimistic? And so I wrote that book 793 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,319 Gretchen Whitmer: to put some light out into the world. I knew 794 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:40,360 Gretchen Whitmer: the presidential election year would be hard, That's why the timing. 795 00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:42,200 Gretchen Whitmer: But when people said I bought this for my kids, 796 00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:44,400 Gretchen Whitmer: I thought, you know, maybe we can do one that 797 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:47,640 Gretchen Whitmer: is geared toward young people. So this book's a little 798 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:50,360 Gretchen Whitmer: bit different. It's not vastly different. I still have the 799 00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:53,680 Gretchen Whitmer: real stories that I shared about some of my bad 800 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:57,279 Gretchen Whitmer: choices in life, some of my embarrassing moments are It's 801 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:59,959 Gretchen Whitmer: all still in there. But we added some more story 802 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:03,000 Gretchen Whitmer: from my youth, like losing my first election when I 803 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:06,120 Gretchen Whitmer: ran for secretary in fifth grade. There's a Q and 804 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:08,600 Gretchen Whitmer: A at the end of the book with my daughters 805 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:13,279 Gretchen Whitmer: that is fun and funny and I think good for 806 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:16,040 Gretchen Whitmer: young people to be able to see. And there's a 807 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:17,960 Gretchen Whitmer: bunch of resources in the back of the book for 808 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:21,960 Gretchen Whitmer: young people if they're dealing with mental health crisis or 809 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:26,480 Gretchen Whitmer: sexual assault, or a variety of resources so that young 810 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:29,040 Gretchen Whitmer: people can access the help they need. And then there's 811 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:32,880 Gretchen Whitmer: just a little special thing. Shark is embossed on the 812 00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:36,440 Gretchen Whitmer: front of the cover because they like to put those 813 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:38,920 Gretchen Whitmer: little hidden things in for the young adult versions. So 814 00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:41,920 Gretchen Whitmer: there's some fun things in this version, and we wanted 815 00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:43,720 Gretchen Whitmer: to gear it for young people. 816 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:46,720 ETS: This is a question I ask of all of my guests. 817 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:49,560 ETS: What is something that it can be something we discussed, 818 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:51,879 ETS: or it can be something different. What is something at 819 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:55,560 ETS: the time you thought was really a negative but now 820 00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:58,359 ETS: you see it as having really launched you to who 821 00:45:58,400 --> 00:45:58,919 ETS: you are now. 822 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:03,120 Gretchen Whitmer: I mean, one of the people that I saw for 823 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:07,359 Gretchen Whitmer: counseling over my life said this, and I talk about 824 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:09,239 Gretchen Whitmer: in the book, but every one of us is like 825 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:13,879 Gretchen Whitmer: a ball of clay, and over our lifetimes, things will 826 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,520 Gretchen Whitmer: get taken away from us, no fault of our own 827 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:20,120 Gretchen Whitmer: in many occasions, but something will be taken away. And 828 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:23,719 Gretchen Whitmer: I think about that a lot whenever there's a hardship 829 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,359 Gretchen Whitmer: or something that I'm struggling with, and that every one 830 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:30,200 Gretchen Whitmer: of those things. Sometimes a ball that's been hollowed up 831 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:34,000 Gretchen Whitmer: can become a cup, and so it has purpose, and 832 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:37,560 Gretchen Whitmer: so every hardship can give you purpose, and I think 833 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:40,319 Gretchen Whitmer: about that a lot. I gave a speech on the 834 00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:43,200 Gretchen Whitmer: Senate floor and revealed that I had been raped when 835 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:47,640 Gretchen Whitmer: I was in college, and I had never shared that publicly, 836 00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:51,920 Gretchen Whitmer: and I knew sharing it probably wasn't even going to 837 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:55,160 Gretchen Whitmer: change the outcome of the legislation that was before us, 838 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:58,680 Gretchen Whitmer: but I felt like it was important for women who'd 839 00:46:58,719 --> 00:47:01,720 Gretchen Whitmer: been shut out of the conversation there was no ability 840 00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:04,560 Gretchen Whitmer: to testify on bills. I felt like I needed to 841 00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:07,920 Gretchen Whitmer: put a face to who was going to be impacted 842 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:10,400 Gretchen Whitmer: by this, and I shared that, and sure enough, it 843 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:14,000 Gretchen Whitmer: didn't change a vote I lost. I went home really depressed. 844 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:15,560 Gretchen Whitmer: Had to call my dad on the way home to 845 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:18,600 Gretchen Whitmer: tell him this because I'd never told him, and this 846 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:19,640 Gretchen Whitmer: was going to be in the press. 847 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:20,960 ETS: I knew it would be in the press. 848 00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:25,000 Gretchen Whitmer: And you know, I felt really horrible the next day, 849 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,640 Gretchen Whitmer: like why did I do this? But then I got 850 00:47:27,640 --> 00:47:30,040 Gretchen Whitmer: into the office and I heard from so many people 851 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:33,920 Gretchen Whitmer: who had also gone through an assault like that, or 852 00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:36,680 Gretchen Whitmer: knew someone thanked me or shared their story with me, 853 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:41,120 Gretchen Whitmer: and I realized what that pain that I had had purpose. 854 00:47:41,640 --> 00:47:45,560 Gretchen Whitmer: And now I've been able to tell that story and 855 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:50,600 Gretchen Whitmer: we've been able to in Michigan codify women's reproductive rights 856 00:47:51,040 --> 00:48:08,640 Gretchen Whitmer: ten years and so that was kind of a big one. 857 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,759 Gretchen Whitmer: But it was something that happened that was taken away. 858 00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:13,520 Gretchen Whitmer: It took a long time twenty years for me to 859 00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:15,759 Gretchen Whitmer: be able to talk about it. Now I talk about 860 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:18,920 Gretchen Whitmer: it without getting choked up, but it took a long time. 861 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:21,959 Gretchen Whitmer: And not every person who survives something like that can 862 00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:26,040 Gretchen Whitmer: find their voice, and I was able to and being 863 00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:29,160 Gretchen Whitmer: able to use it has helped me find purpose in it. 864 00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:32,960 Gretchen Whitmer: And so I share that as something that was horrible, 865 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:37,000 Gretchen Whitmer: but now I think is something that gives me, helps 866 00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:40,279 Gretchen Whitmer: motivate who I am today. I love that. 867 00:48:47,719 --> 00:48:51,640 ETS: Do you think you'll pivot again, maybe to one particular thing. 868 00:48:54,360 --> 00:49:06,239 Gretchen Whitmer: Well, January one, of twenty twenty seven, I will be 869 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:08,440 Gretchen Whitmer: pivoting because we have term limits in. 870 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:11,760 ETS: Michigan, so I'll keep you a posting on what's next. 871 00:49:15,760 --> 00:49:17,600 ETS: We asked the audience for some questions which we have 872 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:19,239 ETS: and we're going to get into. As a point of 873 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:21,959 ETS: personal privilege, I read the book on a snow day, 874 00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:24,879 ETS: so my kids are eight, six and four. We're home 875 00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:26,640 ETS: with me. Wanted to know what I was reading, so 876 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:28,680 ETS: first we read the chapter titles and then we read 877 00:49:28,680 --> 00:49:31,280 ETS: some of the book. So my kids have some questions 878 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:35,240 ETS: for you. Okay, I'll read them all. You can decide 879 00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:37,760 ETS: what you want to answer. When you were really young, 880 00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,200 ETS: did you let all the bullies get you down? Have 881 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:43,160 ETS: you ever done anything embarrassing in public? Do you have 882 00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:45,840 ETS: any brothers or sisters? Have you ever met the president? 883 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:48,600 ETS: Have you ever made a fire? What is your pivot? 884 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:52,279 ETS: And why are you on this show? What is your 885 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:56,040 ETS: favorite podcast? Shed better say, mommies. Have you ever been 886 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:58,759 ETS: to the hospital for an unknown reason? Have you ever 887 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:01,439 ETS: flown an airplane? Have any of your dogs ever died? 888 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:04,880 ETS: And did you get another one? What school did you 889 00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:06,520 ETS: go to? What did you want to be when you 890 00:50:06,520 --> 00:50:08,720 ETS: were a little kid? Have you ever been ice skating 891 00:50:08,719 --> 00:50:12,439 ETS: on a little pond on your shoes? Have you ever 892 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:14,960 ETS: jumped in a bucket of mud. I did that once. 893 00:50:17,840 --> 00:50:22,279 ETS: We'll say your question, Evelyn, one of my kids is here. 894 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:27,279 ETS: I love those questions. I can't remember any of them, though. 895 00:50:29,320 --> 00:50:31,399 Gretchen Whitmer: You can take the bucket of mud question. I love 896 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:33,480 Gretchen Whitmer: the bucket of mud. I would love to jump in 897 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:35,279 Gretchen Whitmer: a bucket of mud. That sounds a good great We'll 898 00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:37,480 Gretchen Whitmer: let your social people know. Okay, that sounds like a 899 00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:40,920 Gretchen Whitmer: really good one. Okay, So I loved this. This is 900 00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:44,480 Gretchen Whitmer: from I believe a Michigander. What is your proudest professional 901 00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:46,920 Gretchen Whitmer: accomplishment as governor ps GHO Spartans. 902 00:50:46,920 --> 00:50:47,800 ETS: That's from Nathaniel. 903 00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:53,480 Gretchen Whitmer: All right, thank you, Nathaniel go Green. You know, in 904 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:58,360 Gretchen Whitmer: this after my re election, when we had full democratic 905 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:00,439 Gretchen Whitmer: control of the legislature, we did a lot of things 906 00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:03,799 Gretchen Whitmer: that were long overdue. So to say one, you know, 907 00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:07,840 Gretchen Whitmer: is very difficult. But we codified women's reproductive rights. We 908 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:11,040 Gretchen Whitmer: were able to ensure all the kids in Michigan get 909 00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:18,799 Gretchen Whitmer: free breakfast and lunch every day at school. We did 910 00:51:18,840 --> 00:51:24,600 Gretchen Whitmer: a billion dollars of tax relief for working families. Yeah, 911 00:51:25,239 --> 00:51:28,759 Gretchen Whitmer: but I signed into law finally getting Michigan on the 912 00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:32,480 Gretchen Whitmer: right side of history, full civil rights protections for the 913 00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:42,080 Gretchen Whitmer: LGBTQ plus community. Yeah, and my oldest daughter is a 914 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:44,560 Gretchen Whitmer: gay woman, and there's a very funny exchange in the 915 00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:47,360 Gretchen Whitmer: book about that. I'll just tell you what it is. 916 00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:51,200 Gretchen Whitmer: So I was getting ready to sign this legislation and 917 00:51:51,239 --> 00:51:54,040 Gretchen Whitmer: I texted my oldest daughter and I said, you know, 918 00:51:54,160 --> 00:51:56,000 Gretchen Whitmer: share do you want to be? Would you like to 919 00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:59,040 Gretchen Whitmer: come to the press conversory I signed the bill as 920 00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:01,160 Gretchen Whitmer: a member of the community. And she's like, yeah, I'd 921 00:52:01,160 --> 00:52:03,840 Gretchen Whitmer: love to, mom. And so, you know, I've never pressured 922 00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:09,960 Gretchen Whitmer: my kids to do things write Sydney. I've never pressured them, 923 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:12,160 Gretchen Whitmer: but I always invite them. But they're in charge. They 924 00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:15,319 Gretchen Whitmer: get to make their own own decisions. And so I said, 925 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:17,400 Gretchen Whitmer: would you like to come? She said yes. I said, okay, 926 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:21,600 Gretchen Whitmer: how should I refer to you, like as a gay 927 00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:25,040 Gretchen Whitmer: woman or a member of the community. And we have 928 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:27,440 Gretchen Whitmer: a screenshot of our text message in the book and 929 00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:34,640 Gretchen Whitmer: she writes member of the community lo l Gretchen. So 930 00:52:34,680 --> 00:52:37,239 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm like, I'm sorry. She goes, I'm a gay woman. 931 00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:40,240 Gretchen Whitmer: It's fine, call me a gay woman. I'm like, okay, 932 00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:44,360 Gretchen Whitmer: thank you, and she writes, you're welcome, non community member, 933 00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:53,720 Gretchen Whitmer: and I wrote, I prefer community ally, and she writes, 934 00:52:53,760 --> 00:52:56,920 Gretchen Whitmer: you're ridiculous, but like I put a screenshot of our 935 00:52:57,000 --> 00:52:59,239 Gretchen Whitmer: text exchange in there, but I signed that bill with 936 00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:01,680 Gretchen Whitmer: my daughter sin next to me, and that was one. 937 00:53:01,560 --> 00:53:11,520 ETS: Of my most proud moments. Yeah, yeah, beautiful. We have 938 00:53:11,520 --> 00:53:14,680 ETS: a question here from Alexandra. After the results of the 939 00:53:14,680 --> 00:53:17,759 ETS: twenty sixteen and twenty twenty four presidential elections and hearing 940 00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:21,160 ETS: discussions about twenty twenty eight, I keep hearing that Democrats 941 00:53:21,200 --> 00:53:23,600 ETS: won't run a woman for a very long time. How 942 00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:26,359 ETS: do you avoid letting comments like this discourage you from 943 00:53:26,360 --> 00:53:28,640 ETS: doing the work when it seems like for a lot 944 00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:30,400 ETS: of this country it'll never be enough. 945 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:40,560 Gretchen Whitmer: Well, number one, that's bs okay. And now I've heard 946 00:53:40,600 --> 00:53:44,160 Gretchen Whitmer: some people say that this election means America is just 947 00:53:44,239 --> 00:53:48,640 Gretchen Whitmer: not ready for a woman chief executive. I think that's blowney, 948 00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:52,080 Gretchen Whitmer: I really do. There were a lot of things that 949 00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:54,080 Gretchen Whitmer: came to plan this election, and you know what, Kamala 950 00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:56,279 Gretchen Whitmer: Harris were in a heck of a campaign, but it 951 00:53:56,360 --> 00:54:02,480 Gretchen Whitmer: was so late. I'll just be honest. I think it 952 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:05,839 Gretchen Whitmer: was so late, and it's such a unique moment, and 953 00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:09,960 Gretchen Whitmer: the candidate on the other side is a unique candidate. 954 00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:12,879 Gretchen Whitmer: I mean, there are a lot of things at play here. 955 00:54:13,200 --> 00:54:15,640 Gretchen Whitmer: I think anyone who says that it's because she was 956 00:54:15,680 --> 00:54:18,640 Gretchen Whitmer: a woman is not paying attention and maybe has their 957 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:21,839 Gretchen Whitmer: own agenda. Right if you look at just what even 958 00:54:21,920 --> 00:54:25,800 Gretchen Whitmer: happened in Michigan and Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin got reelected, Alissa 959 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:33,799 Gretchen Whitmer: Slockin got elected. So you know, we have seen in 960 00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:36,960 Gretchen Whitmer: a state like Michigan, which is the swingiest of swing states, 961 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:39,400 Gretchen Whitmer: we've got all females at the top who are in 962 00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:43,879 Gretchen Whitmer: all executive offices. This country is ready. I think these 963 00:54:43,880 --> 00:54:46,920 Gretchen Whitmer: circumstances are really unique, and I'm sure we're going to 964 00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:51,160 Gretchen Whitmer: have a lot of great candidates in twenty eight and 965 00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:54,319 Gretchen Whitmer: we are. I think we will see more women rise 966 00:54:54,440 --> 00:54:57,480 Gretchen Whitmer: up and we will in my lifetime, we are going 967 00:54:57,560 --> 00:54:58,640 Gretchen Whitmer: to see a woman president. 968 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:10,359 ETS: Here's a question from Grace. What is the best part 969 00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:12,279 ETS: of your job and what is the worst part of 970 00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:15,160 ETS: your job? Slash, do you think the Detroit Lions will 971 00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:16,359 ETS: make it to the Super Bowl next year? 972 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:22,760 Gretchen Whitmer: The best part of my job is every day is different, 973 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:26,759 Gretchen Whitmer: and I am with some incredibly talented people, and I 974 00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:29,080 Gretchen Whitmer: get to see amazing things that are happening in Michigan 975 00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:31,719 Gretchen Whitmer: that even if I have lived in the state of 976 00:55:31,719 --> 00:55:33,600 Gretchen Whitmer: my whole life. I'm still learning things about my own 977 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:36,120 Gretchen Whitmer: state and I love that, and I think that I'm 978 00:55:36,160 --> 00:55:39,600 Gretchen Whitmer: so lucky. The hardest part of my job there's just 979 00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:45,240 Gretchen Whitmer: so many people who are invested in benefiting from problems 980 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:49,160 Gretchen Whitmer: rather than solving them, and that gets really frustrated. And yes, 981 00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:51,000 Gretchen Whitmer: the Lions are going to win the Super Bowl next year. 982 00:55:56,440 --> 00:55:58,360 Gretchen Whitmer: This is from Andrew from Bethesda. 983 00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:00,680 ETS: If you had to choose one on an issue, a 984 00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:03,879 ETS: problem that Democrats need to talk about more, what would 985 00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:06,319 ETS: it be? And are there any issues or problems that 986 00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:08,520 ETS: Democrats spend too much time talking about? 987 00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:13,080 Gretchen Whitmer: Okay, I'm not a pundit and I'm never going to 988 00:56:13,160 --> 00:56:16,040 Gretchen Whitmer: critique my fellow Democrats because I understand that we all 989 00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:20,279 Gretchen Whitmer: have different roles, especially governors. That being said, I don't 990 00:56:20,320 --> 00:56:23,839 Gretchen Whitmer: know that we've got to rebuild who we are and 991 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:25,879 Gretchen Whitmer: what we care about. I do you think we've got 992 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:27,560 Gretchen Whitmer: to talk about it better? We've got to be better 993 00:56:27,560 --> 00:56:31,480 Gretchen Whitmer: communicators and stay focused on the things that really move 994 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:35,600 Gretchen Whitmer: people and touch people and improve people's lives. We are 995 00:56:35,640 --> 00:56:40,040 Gretchen Whitmer: living in very chaotic times where there are so many 996 00:56:40,239 --> 00:56:45,040 Gretchen Whitmer: things to be pulling our attention from, and there are 997 00:56:45,680 --> 00:56:48,560 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm not saying they're not important, but we've got to 998 00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:51,880 Gretchen Whitmer: be really I think thoughtful about what's going to matter 999 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:56,319 Gretchen Whitmer: to people most, and really be disciplined about having real 1000 00:56:56,360 --> 00:57:00,880 Gretchen Whitmer: solutions to what people are vexed with. It's not simple, 1001 00:57:01,080 --> 00:57:04,120 Gretchen Whitmer: it's not easy, and I think we're going to deal 1002 00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:07,720 Gretchen Whitmer: with a lot of chaos over the next days, weeks, 1003 00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:10,680 Gretchen Whitmer: and months. But there's a lot of work that we 1004 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:11,399 Gretchen Whitmer: have yet to do. 1005 00:57:12,120 --> 00:57:15,560 ETS: Here's a question from Cassie as a graduating high school 1006 00:57:15,640 --> 00:57:18,920 ETS: senior who led high school outreach for youth for Harris Walls. 1007 00:57:19,240 --> 00:57:22,360 ETS: I've seen firsthand both the excitement and the challenges of 1008 00:57:22,400 --> 00:57:25,120 ETS: engaging young people in politics. What do you think are 1009 00:57:25,160 --> 00:57:27,560 ETS: the most effective ways to not only get young people 1010 00:57:27,600 --> 00:57:31,080 ETS: involved in civic engagement, but to ensure they stay engaged 1011 00:57:31,160 --> 00:57:32,480 ETS: beyond elections. 1012 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:35,400 Gretchen Whitmer: I love that question. I would like to ask that 1013 00:57:35,560 --> 00:57:37,840 Gretchen Whitmer: back to the person that wrote the question as first, 1014 00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:44,360 Gretchen Whitmer: who's oh, hi, all right? Let's I mean you're in it, 1015 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:46,680 Gretchen Whitmer: You're doing it. One of the things that we saw 1016 00:57:46,760 --> 00:57:51,000 Gretchen Whitmer: in Michigan in twenty twenty two was the highest youth 1017 00:57:51,080 --> 00:57:53,160 Gretchen Whitmer: voter turnout in the country was in the state of 1018 00:57:53,160 --> 00:57:56,120 Gretchen Whitmer: Michigan in twenty twenty two. It's part of how I 1019 00:57:56,200 --> 00:57:59,120 Gretchen Whitmer: won by eleven points. We also had abortion rates on 1020 00:57:59,280 --> 00:58:03,040 Gretchen Whitmer: the ballot. We had an energy that was out there, 1021 00:58:03,080 --> 00:58:07,800 Gretchen Whitmer: and I am mindful of how do we continue to 1022 00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:10,840 Gretchen Whitmer: harness this and keep this energy up? And it's challenging. 1023 00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:13,640 Gretchen Whitmer: Even in this last election, we saw it start to 1024 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:16,000 Gretchen Whitmer: wane and people said, does it Is it because people 1025 00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:19,919 Gretchen Whitmer: think that the issues settled? Now? I think people, I'm 1026 00:58:19,920 --> 00:58:21,920 Gretchen Whitmer: not quite sure what the answer is to it, but 1027 00:58:22,720 --> 00:58:24,120 Gretchen Whitmer: I think you're going to have to be a part 1028 00:58:24,160 --> 00:58:28,160 Gretchen Whitmer: of helping us figure that out. So I'm pointing at you, 1029 00:58:28,240 --> 00:58:30,840 Gretchen Whitmer: but we're going to follow up because I would I 1030 00:58:30,840 --> 00:58:34,000 Gretchen Whitmer: would love to know how do we tapp in as 1031 00:58:34,040 --> 00:58:37,160 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm always pulling my own kids who are twenty one 1032 00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:41,360 Gretchen Whitmer: and twenty two. You know, what's happening on campus? What 1033 00:58:41,440 --> 00:58:43,200 Gretchen Whitmer: do we need to be focused on? What are you 1034 00:58:43,360 --> 00:58:47,200 Gretchen Whitmer: most worried about? And it's the fundamentals too for twenty 1035 00:58:47,240 --> 00:58:50,360 Gretchen Whitmer: two year olds, it's what's my next job going to be? Well? 1036 00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:51,720 Gretchen Whitmer: How am I going to make How am I going 1037 00:58:51,760 --> 00:58:53,960 Gretchen Whitmer: to find an affordable place to live? How am I 1038 00:58:54,000 --> 00:58:56,080 Gretchen Whitmer: going to participate and be able to be successful in 1039 00:58:56,080 --> 00:58:59,080 Gretchen Whitmer: the economy? What the heck's going on with climate change? 1040 00:58:59,080 --> 00:59:01,280 Gretchen Whitmer: And what are you people going to do because it's 1041 00:59:01,320 --> 00:59:05,080 Gretchen Whitmer: still getting worse and we're afraid. So I think that 1042 00:59:05,120 --> 00:59:08,240 Gretchen Whitmer: there's a lot there to learn, but I think you've 1043 00:59:08,240 --> 00:59:11,600 Gretchen Whitmer: got to help us answer the question. So keep asking it, 1044 00:59:11,640 --> 00:59:15,440 Gretchen Whitmer: but then tell me what the answer is. Well, here 1045 00:59:15,520 --> 00:59:16,720 Gretchen Whitmer: is a great last question. 1046 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:20,600 ETS: As many people feel that the federal government is no 1047 00:59:20,680 --> 00:59:26,040 ETS: longer representing them, how can states and state governments respond? 1048 00:59:27,120 --> 00:59:31,080 Gretchen Whitmer: Well, Hey, I mean you're saying you're seeing lawsuits getting filed, 1049 00:59:31,080 --> 00:59:36,840 Gretchen Whitmer: You're seeing state governors and legislatures taking action. We're working 1050 00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:40,640 Gretchen Whitmer: really hard to be creative and nimble because there are 1051 00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:44,480 Gretchen Whitmer: so many things that are happening right now. But we're 1052 00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:46,480 Gretchen Whitmer: going to continue to do that. We saw it during 1053 00:59:46,640 --> 00:59:49,880 Gretchen Whitmer: the pandemic. It was the governors who gave people the 1054 00:59:49,880 --> 00:59:53,480 Gretchen Whitmer: information they needed to be safe and worked so hard 1055 00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:57,000 Gretchen Whitmer: to help empower people, and that'll continue to be true. 1056 00:59:57,120 --> 01:00:00,840 Gretchen Whitmer: I'm very fortunate that I've got an Attorney General who 1057 01:00:00,960 --> 01:00:05,480 Gretchen Whitmer: is doing great work on our behalf. I've got a 1058 01:00:05,520 --> 01:00:10,520 Gretchen Whitmer: cabinet that is continually assessing what we can do at 1059 01:00:10,560 --> 01:00:13,800 Gretchen Whitmer: the state level, that lives up to our values and 1060 01:00:14,680 --> 01:00:18,920 Gretchen Whitmer: continues to deliver. And it means also using the platform 1061 01:00:18,960 --> 01:00:22,560 Gretchen Whitmer: that I have whenever it's important to take it on. 1062 01:00:23,240 --> 01:00:25,120 Gretchen Whitmer: Like I said, you know, I got to run a state. 1063 01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:29,280 Gretchen Whitmer: I've got to also make sure that we we're delivering 1064 01:00:29,320 --> 01:00:32,480 Gretchen Whitmer: for people and able to make my case to the 1065 01:00:32,480 --> 01:00:34,920 Gretchen Whitmer: federal government, but also stand my ground when it matters. 1066 01:00:34,960 --> 01:00:38,280 Gretchen Whitmer: And that's what we're going to do today, tomorrow, and 1067 01:00:38,560 --> 01:00:40,880 Gretchen Whitmer: over the course of the next four years. 1068 01:00:40,680 --> 01:00:47,720 ETS: Maybe last night and last night too for protection. Governor 1069 01:00:47,760 --> 01:00:50,520 ETS: Whitmer is still working hard for the people of Michigan. 1070 01:00:51,040 --> 01:00:53,320 ETS: To stay up to date on everything she is doing 1071 01:00:53,600 --> 01:00:56,560 ETS: and if she'll make a big announcement one day, follow 1072 01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:59,680 ETS: her at ge Whitmer and be sure to read True 1073 01:01:00,240 --> 01:01:03,000 ETS: and True Gretch Young Adult edition. Get it wherever you 1074 01:01:03,040 --> 01:01:06,320 ETS: get your books, and follow along on Instagram at True 1075 01:01:06,360 --> 01:01:09,400 ETS: Gretch Whitmer. Thank you again to six and I for 1076 01:01:09,480 --> 01:01:12,640 ETS: hosting this live she Pivots episode. You can follow them 1077 01:01:12,640 --> 01:01:14,840 ETS: on Instagram at six and I to say up to 1078 01:01:14,920 --> 01:01:18,640 ETS: date on future programming. It's always incredible. Thanks for listening. 1079 01:01:20,920 --> 01:01:24,520 ETS: Thanks for listening to this episode of she Pivots. I 1080 01:01:24,520 --> 01:01:26,960 ETS: hope you enjoyed it and if you did, leave us 1081 01:01:26,960 --> 01:01:30,040 ETS: a rating and tell your friends about us. To learn 1082 01:01:30,080 --> 01:01:33,360 ETS: more about our guests, follow us on Instagram at she 1083 01:01:33,520 --> 01:01:36,840 ETS: Pivots the Podcast, or sign up for our newsletter, where 1084 01:01:36,880 --> 01:01:40,000 ETS: you can get exclusive behind the scenes content on our 1085 01:01:40,040 --> 01:01:47,600 ETS: website at she pivots thepodcast dot com. Special thanks to 1086 01:01:47,640 --> 01:01:52,680 ETS: the she pivots team, Executive producer Emily Etafelosic, Associate producer 1087 01:01:52,680 --> 01:01:57,240 ETS: and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director Christine Dickinson, 1088 01:01:57,640 --> 01:02:01,600 ETS: Events and Logistics coordinator Madeleine s Ovic, and audio editor 1089 01:02:01,600 --> 01:02:06,400 ETS: and mixer Nina pollock I endorse Cheap Pivots