SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 15 (Our Michigan Times) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she worked with President Donald Trump to secure a new fighter-jet mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base after the effort did not reach completion during the Biden administration.
Whitmer made the comment during a reported conversation with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. She said the project would replace retiring A-10 aircraft with F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets and called it “a huge deal to Michigan.”
The discussion focused on a project in Michigan, not California. Newsom’s role was as the governor speaking with Whitmer; the supplied reporting does not identify a California facility or a separate California policy action tied to the mission.
What is planned for Selfridge?
Selfridge Air National Guard Base, in Macomb County, Michigan, is expected to receive a new fleet of F-15EX aircraft. Whitmer and several reports described the fleet as 21 jets. A Defense Department plan shared with Michigan’s senators was reported as calling for approximately 20 F-15EX jets, beginning in 2028.
The F-15EX is a newer fighter aircraft intended to take the place of A-10 aircraft that are being retired at the base. The plan would preserve a fighter mission at Selfridge and support the base’s military operations and training.
The precise final number of aircraft is not clear in the available records: public descriptions have used both 20 and 21 jets.
When was the decision announced?
Trump announced the new Selfridge mission on April 29, 2025, during an event at the base attended by Whitmer. Trump said Whitmer had met with him to advocate for preserving Selfridge and praised her efforts.
“She came to meet with me specifically to advocate for the preservation of Selfridge. She was quite effective,” Trump said, according to accounts of his remarks at the event.
Whitmer’s office described the announcement as a bipartisan win for Michigan. The office said the project would support the state’s economy, jobs and national security. It also projected approximately $850 million in economic benefits for Michigan.
What does Whitmer say about Biden?
Whitmer said she had tried to secure the mission during the Biden administration but could not get it “over the finish line.” She credited Trump with completing the effort after he took office.
The available reporting does not establish which specific Biden administration actions stalled the project, what federal steps led to the final decision or the exact legal and budget process used to approve the mission.
Whitmer’s account also does not mean that the aircraft have already arrived. The Defense Department plan reported by The New York Times indicated that the jets were expected to be stationed at Selfridge beginning in 2028.
Why is the project politically notable?
Whitmer is a Democratic governor, while Trump is a Republican president. Their cooperation on the base has produced a public example of bipartisan advocacy on a military and economic project.
Trump praised Whitmer at the April 2025 event, and Whitmer’s office emphasized the project’s economic and national-security effects. In her discussion with Newsom, Whitmer presented the outcome as an example of working with a president from another party to deliver a result for her state.
The available sources do not identify a roll-call vote or a separate congressional authorization associated with the announcement. They describe a presidential announcement, a Defense Department plan and advocacy by Whitmer and Michigan officials.
