Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Trump told her he would not pardon men convicted in kidnapping plot

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 5:34 PM EDT, May 30, 2025


MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says President Donald Trump would be going back on his word to her if he pardoned two men who are serving prison sentences for leading a 2020 plot to kidnap her.

Whitmer, a Democrat, told Michigan Public Radio on Thursday that Trump asked her about a month ago how she would feel if he pardoned the two men. “I said, ‘I think it would be the wrong decision,’” Whitmer recounted. “I would oppose it and he said, ‘OK, I’ll drop it.’”

Whitmer, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, recounted the conversation one day after Trump said he was considering a pardon for the men, saying, “I will take a look at it. It’s been brought to my attention.” The Republican president said he followed the men’s trial and “it looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job.” He said the men “were drinking and I think they said stupid things.”

The U.S. Justice Department’s new pardon attorney also said this month he would take a “hard look” at pardoning Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/gretchen-whitmer-trump-pardons-kidnapping-plot-6593f7cc502734e67a012ad7e14d505e

[bmichaelh]

1. Shakespeare

PAROLES
He will lie, sir, with such volubility
that you would think truth were a fool.
--Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well 4.3.248-49

PISANIO
[His] tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile.
--Shakespeare, Cymbeline 3.4.34-35

[ShazzieB]

53. Excellent use of Shakespeare quotations!

[Irish_Dem]

2. I am beginning to feel sorry for Gretchen.

[Paladin]

12. And I feel ANGRY, at anybody who still expects trump to tell the truth or keep his word.

Even a governor of a major state should know better than that.

[Irish_Dem]

14. Exactly. But I went from anger to pity today about her.

How can someone be so damn clueless.

[ananda]

16. Well, I was wondering why she was a bit soft on Trump earlier on.

Now I know.

This whole thing sucks, on both sides.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. If the Liar-in-Chief told GW that, then the opposite must be true!!

[tetedur]

4. She believed him? Now I have to question her naivety, her judgement.

Everything out of his mouth is a lie. Everything.

He is a felon. He will pardon those who did what he did. He will pardon the scam artists, those who cheated on their taxes, those who did what he wanted them to do like the Jan 6 thugs. He is demonstrating that those criminals are above the law like he is. He will pardon those who do his bidding. He is King and he will not stop.

[Quanto Magnus]

25. Actually he tells the truth when he says

he's going to do something totally crappy to people. We should really believe him then...

[Buddyzbuddy]

5. Oh no! You mean he may not keep his word?

I don't believe Governor Whitmer is that gullible. I think she stated what he told her to make sure it's been made public ensuring he keeps his word. But he has no shame, no guilt and 0 integrity and if you don't know that by now, I question your judgement and intellect.

[Raven123]

6. Political suicide. Whitmer is done nationally.

Honestly I can see how it happens. Political figures are in a cloistered environment. It can be disorienting. Michigan is tough because of the auto industry. You have to step back and and play a game of chess. She is not and has lost the game.

[Stuckinthebush]

33. Agreed. And it's a shame

She had such a bright future nationally. Threw it all away with a political miscalculation.

[BootinUp]

7. Trump going back on his word is like a law of nature. nt

[twodogsbarking]

8. The more he professes his honesty the more inclined I am to count the silver.

Silverware is what the reference is I believe.

[SamKnause]

9. Is she stupid ???

Why would you believe anything that comes out of that man's mouth ???

[Bengus81]

10. And then....the statement from Whitmer KISSING HIS ASS a few months ago.

BTW Whitmer...FAFO

[tanyev]

11. *GASP!*. It's like words just poured out of his mouth without him meaning any of it!

[Nimble_Idea]

13. and now, she cant ever say anything, cuz if she does, then then liddle taco pardons. IMAGINE. This is the USA folks.

[Diraven]

35. This is exactly it

He's going to threaten her with pardoning these guys if she crosses him in any way.

[Montauk6]

15. But wait, why would he even contemplate that (YES WE know why but...)?

That's a stone cold mafia move, "Nice store you got here... would be a tragedy if it blew up..."

[Butterflylady]

17. Trump, liar, liar, pants on fire.....

Come on governor Whitmer, you should know better.

I don't think she should run for president.

[BradBo]

18. My moneys on him pardoning them because the whole TACO thing has got him riled.

He’s planning on blowing up everything.

[democrank]

19. I know 6th graders who would have told Whitmer not to believe Trump.

What was she thinking?

[turbinetree]

20. Do not ........repeat........... do not believe a word he says..............

SNAP
MEDICAID
MEDICARE
FEMA
NOAA

JFC he will pardon them.............his fucking track record says that he will............

[patphil]

21. The Lying King does it again. With apologies to the children's book of the same name.

Trump, the King of liars, can only be relied on for one thing...he will lie again and again and again.
It's a bad day for him if he hasn't told at least a half dozen lies before breakfast.

[DownriverDem]

22. Never believe

anything trump says.

[republianmushroom]

23. trump lies a lot.

His word means squat.

[Martin68]

24. If Trump's lips were moving it was a lie.

[Marcuse]

26. He's got nothing over her head. Pardon or not she owes him nothing.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

27. Trump lies all the time

[Katinfl]

28. And she takes him at his word????

Be serious. Dems need to be aware that a woman will never win. We tried it twice with two very accomplished, competent, qualified women and it did not play out. I had hopes for her, but no longer. Just the way it is I am sorry to say.

[sakabatou]

29. And she believes him?!

[J-9]

30. Her response should've been

Do you, boo. I'm over here doing my job.

Wave him off. He hates being dismissed.

[lees1975]

31. The problem with Trump is that it is hard to figure out whether it is more of his attention seeking, sensationalist,

time-wasting blabber, or some kind of leveraged threat, or a lie, or whether he actually would do something so immoral and unethical.

He is completely out of his mind, totally demented and it is well past time that the American people ramp up to the kind of public pressure it is going to take to get Congress to do something to impreach and remove him from office, or get him out on mental disaibilty.

[MIButterfly]

32. She said he would be going back on his word?

His word is shit. Haven't we all known this since day one? After all the lies and all the broken promises, who the hell on God's green earth would believe a single word out of his lying mouth?

Oh Gretchen. I'm afraid it looks like he completely played you. You sucked up to him for absolutely nothing except to make yourself look foolish. I hope you've learned a lesson from this. You must know he doesn't repeatedly tell that story of the snake for nothing.

[tonekat]

34. Well of course

Because he's a big fat liar.

[live love laugh]

36. Hahahahahaaa ... welp, that's my laugh for the day ...

[Initech]

37. And you actually believe that? Wow.

The man is on a warpath to get any revenge he can for him being forced out of his precious plaything in 2020. It's insane what he is doing.

[Sneederbunk]

38. TSF is a man of his word.

Several words. Different words. Words he does not understand. Words we do not understand.

[littlemissmartypants]

39. Someone has lost their mind.

[Brainfodder]

40. Did she get a pinky swear?

He will say whatever to avoid.

[elleng]

41. NEVER believe him.

[Jacson6]

42. Why would any one trust a pathological liar? n/t

[orleans]

43. while he comes off like his usual asshole self, she comes off like a trusting idiot. i will never trust her judgement nt

[NH Ethylene]

44. This would act as a green light for MAGA thugs to go after other politicians.

Which is a truly frightening thought.

[AZLD4Candidate]

45. If you believe him, I have bridge in Brooklyn to sell you and the only used once plane ticket to take you there.

[Evolve Dammit]

46. And she believes him??? Seriously?

[herding cats]

47. I wonder if he threatened to pardon them if she didn't come to the WH and debase herself?

Then he turns around and it's being reported he's going to pardon them anyway after she slit her political career into shreds.

Sure wouldn't surprise me if that's the case since it tracks with him and his actions.

[AKwannabe]

48. Hmmmm

And she believes him?

Haha

[The Wizard]

49. Trump never

and I mean never ever tells the truth. The prevarication is in his DNA. A Roy Cohn disciple to the core. Believe Trump at your own peril.

[LiberalLovinLug]

50. Predictable

[dlilafae]

51. And, that's how you spit on Gretch

and escape the battery charge. (Oh, yeah he gets to shoot people and get off scott free).

[Srkdqltr]

52. She stood up to him and he backed down . I doubt she believed hom on anything n

Her tone when she said she was disappointed was sarcastic. I bet she told him off good.

[ShazzieB]

54. Where did Whitmer say she *believed* Schlump when he said he wouldn't pardon those men?

I'm seeing a lot of comments that seem to be based on that assumption, but I don't think the article actually says that. We're told that she said he would be "going back on his word to her" if he pardons those thugs, but that sounds like a simple statement of fact to me. I don't see any indication in the article of whether she actually believed he would keep his promise to her, and it doesn't describe her as being shocked or even surprised by what he's been saying about it more recently.

If she DID take him at his word, then yes, she made a very big mistake, but the article doesn't say anything about that. I am therefore going to reserve judgement until I know more.