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Gretchen Whitmer denies Dems try to be too inclusive, says message can be 'too obtuse' for people
By Lindsay Kornick
Published January 21, 2026
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., said in a new interview that the Democratic Party's message is sometimes "too obtuse" for people and denied that the party was too focused on being inclusive.
NPR's Steve Inskeep asked Whitmer in an interview on Tuesday whether she saw any merit to the claim that the Democratic Party "tilted the playing field" of voters by focusing too much on being inclusive.
"No, I don't think so," Whitmer said on NPR's "Morning Edition." "You know, when you say, 'Let's save the rainforest,' it doesn't mean you say, I hate all the other forests, right? It's recognizing a unique vulnerability. I think that's smart. I think that that's what we have to do when it comes to all of our policies."
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate. (John Nacion/Getty Images)
"Democrats are a big tent," she added. "We want everyone to be successful. It's not picking and choosing. It's not a zero-sum game where I only win if you lose. Everyone can get ahead. And that's got to be our mindset. And that's why I'm a Democrat. Sometimes, maybe our message is too obtuse for people. And we have to really have those interactions where people feel like, yeah, you matter, too."
Whitmer was then asked what she specifically meant by "obtuse."
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"Well, we make everything so general that sometimes people can't see themselves in it. I think that that's a pitfall," Whitmer said.
Gretchen Whitmer defended her party's inclusive outreach, saying the party is a "big tent." (John Nacion/WireImage via Getty Images)
She emphasized the importance of engaging with different kinds of people, saying, "You're not learning if you're not listening."
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Whitmer has been floated as a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028 and was even considered as a potential replacement for former President Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 election.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced backlash for meeting with President Donald Trump at the Oval Office in April. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
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However, she faced heavy criticism from members of her own party after taking part in an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump in April.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/gretchen-whitmer-denies-dems-try-too-inclusive-says-message-can-too-obtuse-people