F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet Is Landing At Selfridge

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/29/2025) President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Macomb County's Selfridge Air National Guard base will be receiving 21 new F-15 Eagles to replace the retiring A-19 Warthogs, an enormous win for the airbase and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose personal visit to the White House on behalf of Selfridge came at great political cost.

Speaking at the air base with dozens of military personnel in fatigues behind him, Trump singled out Whitmer for bringing the request to his attention “very strongly” and proceeded to call her out as “Gretchen” a few times. He told the crowd that some urged him not to invite Whitmer to Tuesday’s event, but he told them, “She's going to be here. She's done a very good job, frankly.”

Trump brought Whitmer to the presidential podium to give brief remarks. The Governor shared 30 seconds of thoughts without mentioning the President once. Her most memorable line was, “I'm really damn happy we're here.”

The President also credited House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) for working with Whitmer to make the new assignment happen. He also mentioned hometown U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) before giving a shout out to Senate Majority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton), who is running against James for the 2026 Republican gubernatorial nomination.

The announcement is critical for the Harrison Township facility, which was a base without a mission and without much of a future after Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, when the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft (nicknamed the ‘Warthogs’) were slated to be retired. Without a replacement, the base was projected to lose a significant number of jobs and $30 million in wages.

According to the White House, 21 F-15EXs will begin arriving in Fiscal Year (FY) 2028 without overturning other basing decisions impacting other states.

“This is a huge, bipartisan win for Michigan, decades in the making, that will grow our economy and make our country safer,” Whitmer said. ”Because of our tireless work with partners on the ground in Macomb County and on both sides of the aisle, the future of Selfridge is bright, lasting, and secure."

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, Macomb County Commission Chair Joe Sabatini, Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller, Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), Macomb County Chamber President and CEO Kelley Lovati , Harrison Township Supervisor Ken Verkest and Selfridge Community Council President Jonathan VandenBossche, all shared space in the Governor's press release celebrating the announcement.

Numerous public officials praised the President for Tuesday’s action.

“This will absolutely secure the future of Selfridge, which is a critical component of our national defense, especially along the northern border,” said Miller, who advocated for Selfridge as a member of Congress for 14 years and in 2022 as honorary base commander.

Whitmer sent a timeline along with Tuesday's press release showing she's had 21 meetings, letters or other correspondence over the last six years as she sought out a new mission for Selfridge.

Her last action, the April 9 meeting in the White House, turned politically catastrophic for the Governor when she was ushered into the Oval Office as the President was taking other executive action that she would not personally support. At one point, she hid her face with a blue folder she was holding to dissuade the media from photographing her. The New York Times snapped a picture anyway, and then ran the shot in a weekend article.

Whitmer, considered a top-level presidential candidate prior to the visit, ended up being framed as not being ready for prime time and losing significant positive momentum among Washington's extensive chattering class.