Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) found herself the subject of national mockery on Saturday after The New York Times published a photo that, well, just might become her political obituary.
Captured by NYT photographer Eric Lee, the image shows Whitmer in the Oval Office — not shaking hands, not smiling for the cameras, not even looking remotely composed — but holding a folder in front of her face, quite literally trying to hide from the press.
Why the duck-and-cover routine? According to reports, Whitmer was at the White House to discuss disaster relief funding for Michigan and support for a Detroit-area Air National Guard base. She reportedly expected a closed-door meeting with President Trump. Instead, she was ushered into a media-packed Oval Office as Trump signed executive orders and welcomed the press.
The photo quickly went viral, and The New York Times leaned into the awkwardness with the headline: “Whitmer Shows How Democrats Are Playing With Fire in Cozying Up to Trump.” The sub-headline hammered the point home, noting the “politically risky relationships” Democratic governors like Whitmer are attempting to cultivate with the president — even as their party publicly rails against him.
But let’s be real: it wasn’t just the article. It was the photo. And in the age of instant memes and political branding disasters, that one shot of Whitmer shielding herself behind a manila folder may have just nuked her 2028 aspirations.
People from both sides piled on.
“This is so much worse than if she just let her photo be taken,” posted commentator Abigail Jackson. Others compared it to career-ending campaign gaffes like the infamous “Dean Scream” or Michael Dukakis in a tank.
This is so much worse than if she just let her photo be taken 🤣 pic.twitter.com/RoWz6Bl2Xw
— Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) April 12, 2025
Gary Hart’s monkey business
Dukakis in a tank
The Dean screamAll scandals/embarrassing flubs that likely ended the careers of presidential hopefuls.
And now… there’s this: pic.twitter.com/gH9eM0hgzk
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) April 12, 2025
Democratic strategist Max Burns offered perhaps the most honest take: “I don’t personally care that Whitmer was at the White House. Sometimes that’s just the job. What I don’t respect is trying to hide from cameras in a room with no corners. Have the courage to be uncomfortable.”
Ouch.
The irony? Whitmer once sent Trump a letter thanking him for his support of the auto industry. Now she’s caught between a rock and a viral photo — trying to work with the president while pretending not to be seen doing it.
In today’s political world, that kind of cowardice plays worse than any partisan label.
Best picture I have ever seen of Whitmer. That blue color suits her.