‘Hitting Your Own Hand’: Democratic Governor Fires Shot at Potential 2028 Rival

LEFT: Jared Polis (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) RIGHT: Gretchen Whitmer (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) fired a shot at his counterpart in Michigan on Wednesday in what might have been one of the opening salvos of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

In a recent speech addressing the sweeping tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on imports into the United States, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) criticized Trump while suggesting tariffs have a place in American economic policy.

“So as I’ve said before, I’m not against tariffs outright. But it is a blunt tool. You can’t just pull out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clear, defined end goal,” argued Whitmer. “We cannot underestimate or underappreciate the time and capital it’s going to take to actually bring jobs and supply chains back home. So there’s not a shortcut here. Strategic reindustrialization must be a bipartisan project that spans multiple presidential administrations.”

On X, Polis responded to Whitmer’s comments — and not sympathetically.

“The ‘tariff hammer’ winds up hitting your own hand rather than the nail. Tariffs are bad outright because they lead to higher prices and destroy American manufacturing. Trade is inherently good because both parties emerge better off from a consensual transaction,” wrote Polis. “While sanctions (Russia, Iran) can have a geopolitical national security role, it should always be considered eyes wide open that sanctions harm both ourself and others.”

It has been speculated that both Polis and Whitmer might seek the top spot on the Democrats’ ticket in 2028.

Last year, Polis, who has carved out a space for himself in the moderate wing of the party, joked about and refused to rule out a presidential campaign.

Whitmer, on the other hand, was a candidate to be Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020 and some believed she was a strong candidate to replace him as the party’s standard bearer in 2024.