Whitmer Opens DNC, Credits Obama + Biden for Saving Auto Industry

"That woman from Michigan" opened the Democratic National Convention Monday night (8/17) by giving her endorsement to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Governor Gretchen Whitmer mockingly referred to herself using President Donald Trump's words as Whitmer battled the president over coronavirus protective equipment for Michigan in March.

But before we get to the meat of the governor's address, let's take a look at a humorous moment before Whitmer was live on national TV. In this tweet from The Recount, the governor is seen silently mouthing an expletive, which drew laughs from the crowd.

And then the governor got serious. She praised Biden for his work with President Barack Obama facilitating the automotive bailout in 2008.

"In 2009, the Obama-Biden administration inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The auto industry, on the brink of collapse [with] a million jobs at stake. President Obama and Vice President Biden didn't waste time blaming anyone else or shirking their responsibility, they got to work," the governor said from UAW Local #652 in Lansing. "They brought together union members, companies, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and they saved the auto industry."

Whitmer went on to praise Michigan's autoworkers who began making personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"And wouldn't you know, just a few months ago as our nation began battling COVID-19, autoworkers across Michigan sprang into action. The started making protective equipment for doctors and nurses on the front lines. Let me break it down. President Obama and Vice President Biden saved these autoworkers’ livelihoods. Then these workers did their part to save American lives. That’s the story of this great nation. Action begets action. Progress begets progress. And when we work together, we can accomplish anything.”

Whitmer then noted that Michigan autoworkers helped save thousands of lives during the pandemic and implied that a national plan that mirrored Michigan's would have helped the country navigate the pandemic more successfully.

Watch "That woman from Michigan's" address below.