Gretchen Whitmer Admits She Was Being Vetted Become Biden’s Running Mate

In a new interview on Tuesday, Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer finally admitted that she was being vetted over the summer to potentially become Joe Biden’s running mate.

Whitmer told Politico that she was “really surprised” when Biden, who was the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee at the time, “called and asked me to go through the process.”

“I thought I was going to be on the committee to help him vet a candidate, not that I would be someone going through the vetting,” she said. “But of course I said yes, what an honor to be asked. If there was any role that I could play to help him get elected, I think this election was that important. Even though I’ve never aspired to going to Washington, D.C., I was willing to go through the process as he asked.”

Whitmer is said to have made it to the finals of this vetting process along with California Sen. Kamala Harris, former national security adviser Susan Rice and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Whitmer claimed that though she “had a lot of great conversations through the process” with Biden, she ended up being “pleased” when he chose Harris, who she described as “fantastic.”

Whitmer was quick to say that though she clearly went through a months-long process to get the job of being Biden’s running mate, his ultimate decision was the “best-case outcome” because she actually wants to continue being the governor of Michigan.

“Everyone in my family was excited, too,” Whitmer said. “This is the dream job I always had wanted. I have three generations of my family here in Michigan.”

She also claimed to have turned down an offer from Biden to take another position in his administration in another capacity.

“We have had a conversation, and he asked if I would ever be interested in doing something like that,” Whitmer said. “I said, right now, I want to stay right here in Michigan. I’ve got a lot of work to do, and my best-case scenario is having a great ally in the White House, which is what I will have come Jan. 20.”

She then alleged that she has “never really considered going to Washington, D.C.” despite being “recruited” for House and Senate runs “at different points in my political career.”

“I’ve never considered it, because I haven’t ever wanted to leave Michigan,” she said.

Many Michiganders, however, would likely have been happy to be rid of Whitmer, given the fact that she has become infamous for enforcing arguably the strictest COVID-19 regulation in the country in her state. Whitmer might want to start looking for other jobs in Washington D.C. now, because she might not have one in Michigan after the next election cycle.