Trump, Whitmer trade tweets

Tired of being poked by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the national Democrats’ rising star, on cable news networks for his administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump singled out the “Failing” governor in a tweet Tuesday.

“Failing Michigan Governor must work harder and be much more proactive. We are pushing her to get the job done. I stand with Michigan!” he wrote.

Whitmer — among the first governors to close K-12 schools, limit gathering sizes and shutdown restaurants — responded within minutes with a series of tweets about what she’s done as Michigan’s chief executive. She also repeating what steps the president should take to improve the federal response.

“Now that I’ve got your attention, Mr. President — attack tweets won’t solve this crisis. But swift and clear guidance, tests, personal protective equipment and resources would,” she wrote.

Whitmer, recently ranked No. 5 on The Washington Post’s Top 10 list of Joe Biden’s most likely running-mate selections, has seen her national profile rise in recent days. Her flurry of executive orders announcing enhanced restrictions on price gouging and temporarily closing theaters, casinos and other public spaces has already generated significant national attention.

Based on a tracking poll, Whitmer’s actions are being received well, particular when compared with the president’s.

Elucd, a deliverer of geo-targeted online digits ads, tracked between 400 and 500 Michigan residents’ feelings on how federal, state and local governments is doing in responded to the new global pandemic on Sunday and Monday. The upshot: Residents feel state government is doing the best.

On a 1-5 scale with 5 being the best, 50% of residents responded with a “3” when asked if they felt state government was prepared to handle the coronavirus. Only 14% responded with a “1.”  On a separate question 39% responded with a “3” when asked if the federal government was prepared, but 31% responded with a “1.”

The poll showed on Monday that 66% of the public specifically supports Whitmer’s announcement to limit all bars and restaurants to takeout and carryout only.

Whitmer campaign sent out a fundraising email within 90 minutes of Trump’s tweet, which ended with, “During this time, we should be working together, not tearing each other down. Add you name today to support Gretchen Whitmer and all the work she’s been doing to keep Michiganders safe.”

What spurred this exchange?

Whitmer critiqued the president’s administration coronavirus response during a MSNBC interview on Monday. She said Trump should consider declaring a federal disaster to free up resources. She also suggested help for those who will lose their jobs as a result of the emergency and additional personal protection equipment — masks, hand sanitizer, etc.

“I would love to see a coherent policy when it comes to ordering people not to do unnecessary travel,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of people the feds need to step up on.”

Say what you will about Whitmer’s response, I doubt many business owners would call what she’s done as being tepid or not enough.

On March 3, Whitmer created a task force to combat the spread of coronavirus, and in the days immediately following obtained additional testing kits. The state’s Medicaid program waived copays and cost-sharing for coronavirus testing and health care — all before the first announced presumptive positive case of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the state on March 10.

Trump hasn’t exactly been sitting on his hands either. He declared a national emergency later Monday and said “no resource will be spared” in his effort to fight the spread of the virus, including imposing travel restrictions from global hotspots.

But Whitmer focused in her TV interview on the long lines at airports as a sign of a lack of a federal coherent policy.

Trump could have ignored Whitmer. But national media coverage in recent weeks seems to be finding more reasons putting Whitmer in the No. 2 slot makes sense and fewer reasons for previous frontrunners, like Stacey Abrams.

Whitmer’s strong Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union response sparked the most recent talk about why a sharp, relatively young female leader from a swing state that Trump barely won in 2016 makes a lot of sense.

Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Cox went as far as to call out the governor for going out on national television to “play partisan politics during a time of crisis.”

“Posturing for Joe Biden’s VP slot, instead of focusing on the crisis at hand only divides people at a time when we all need to be united,” Cox said.

She and the president may be trying to let the air of the Whitmer for VP bus, but it’s already rolling down the highway.

(Kyle Melinn of the Capitol news service MIRS is at melinnky@gmail.com.)