How Politically Devastating Is The Blue Folder Picture?

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/14/2025)  At least in the near term, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's national political stock nosedived after her uncomfortable Oval Office visit that was amplified over the weekend with The New York Times picture of her holding a folder in front of her face.

Whitmer has since been lampooned on social media as an action figure doll holding a blue folder with her movable arm to cover. Others are writing her political obituary.

Gov. Whitmer during a press conference in the White House last week. Photo was featured in the New York Times.

One national Democratic political consultant said the D.C. consulting class and the national media who had Whitmer in the top tier of potential 2028 presidential candidates are dropping her into a lower tier. She appeared set up, unprepared and out of sorts as the President signed executive orders such as one defrocking a federal official for questioning Trump's claims of widespread election fraud in 2020.

Maybe the moment blows away without any long-term consequences. Announced presidential candidates have had worse blunders. Trump had his Access Hollywood video. Bill Clinton had Jennifer Flowers.

And, yet, Mike Dukakis never recovered from his goofy helmet photo. Howard Dean's primal screech tanked his presidential aspirations. For those old enough, former Gov. George Romney talking about being "brainwashed" regarding Vietnam was a political killer.

How will this impact Whitmer? MIRS addressed the issue with four public relations professionals. The four were also asked their opinion on House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) having not met, yet, one on one.

Q. How devastating to Gov. Whitmer is this weekend's New York Times photo of her covering her face with a folder while in the Oval Office?

A. Matt Resch from Resch Strategies said the Governor, personally, will be fine. For the Governor politically, "It's probably over."

"The unfortunate thing for the Governor is she has spent six years focused on building a national persona. She outdid all that work with 15 minutes and a blue folder," he said.

Bob Kolt of Kolt Communications, who Whitmer appointed to the Michigan Community Service Commission, described the blue folder incident as "silly." He focused on another picture circulated by Getty Images and used by Vanity Fair of the Governor standing alone and stoic in the Oval Office, which he said looked like a foreshadowing of a potential future run.

"No, it's not devastating," Kolt said. "People can be critical of her being there, but she represents Michigan and you have to work with people on both sides of the aisle, even if you don't like them. She was there voicing the perspective of folks who continue to be suffering from the ice storm power outage. So, good for her that she did it. Is there a future impact? Maybe. I just don't see it."

Allie Walker, president of Truscott Rossman, said covering your face in the Oval Office is a "tactical error — the optics write their own headlines. But if the goal was to signal discomfort or dissent, the message landed. If she had to be in the room, at least she made it clear she wasn't thrilled about it."

The photo is only devastating if the Governor didn't address it quickly and appropriately, said Greg Bowens of Bowens & Company, which she did this afternoon at the Detroit Economic Club.

"Some explanation is due and certainly that would put things in line. She can't have that hanging out there," he said. "She needs to make light of the moment by repeating it in different forums. Take to social media. She's Big Gretch and we like her."

Q. Was the Governor going to Washington D.C. a mistake?

A. According to Kolt, the answer is no. The message she wanted to deliver on tariffs and trade was delivered during her speech to business leaders.

"If you listened to her message, it was really good," he said. "It wouldn't have been good to deliver that press conference here. She had to go to a national audience for this type of event."

Walker said the answer to the question isn't clear cut. Politically, going to D.C. was a mistake.

"It's a risk. But as the governor of Michigan, showing up in D.C. wasn't a mistake. She's there to advocate for her state, not to make a scene. Everyone in that room knows the game — and Michigan needs a player on the field, not shouting from the sidelines."

From Bowens' perspective, going to D.C. was "on brand" for Whitmer in that she was willing to work with anyone to move things forward for Michigan. Whitmer's challenge is that while Republicans can go to war with Trump one day, but be his best pal the next, Democrats don't have that luxury. Whitmer and other Democrats are struggling to find common ground with Trump while not betraying their values, and it's hard, he said.

"Either the guy is a threat to democracy and the foundation of our country, or he's not," Bowens said. "So which one is it?"

Resch said going to D.C. probably wasn't a mistake when it was scheduled.  It was a mistake by the time it actually happened.

"The challenge in politics is getting the timing right when trying to catch the latest political wave," he said. "The Governor and her team were desperately paddling to catch the wave of 'let's be bipartisan with Trump' when the wave of ‘Trump’s tariffs are horrible and everyone hates them' came crashing down on top of her. The Northern Michigan ice storm gave her team an out. They should have postponed, regrouped and come back at it when the tariff dust had settled, and she was better prepared to talk about them."

Q. What would you suggest the Governor do to remedy the situation, if anything?

Walker said, "Governor Whitmer is at her best when she meets criticism with a wink and keeps moving. The folks grumbling about her trip are still licking their wounds from November. She's focused on what's next — and Michigan voters expect her to lead, not sulk."

Bowens said the Governor needs to explain that she has a job to do to help Michiganders with the challenges that are out there.

"Everybody is being impacted by the craziness that's been going on," he said. "The farmers, the autoworkers, the people who invested in green technology. We don't want any of those industries to fail." Bowens added that Whitmer could make big steps forward by reaching out to Canada, which certainly isn't pleased with Trump's evolving tariff policy.

"We're looking for leadership and to find our way forward," he said.

From Resch's perspective, Whitmer should keep on keeping on.

"Fix the roads. Balance the budget. Focus on Michigan. The national chatter stings, but it will pass, and news cycles in the era of Trump last as long as it takes to type a tweet. Move on," he said.

Kolt predicted that the Governor isn't going to run for president, so she should promote her visit as proof that she's willing to go anywhere and talk to anybody to help Michigan. If anyone wants to attack her politically, she can grab her flag. "There's no downside risk," he said.

Q. What should we make of Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall not having a single one-on-one meeting yet?

"For political insiders, it means the battle lines are still drawn. For regular folks, who don't even know where their state representative or state senator is, not a whole lot," Bowens said.

"That's the truth. People aren't ready to forgive. We haven't found a way to extend grace to the other side. The Republicans aren't holding out flowers, saying everything is fine.

"Let's work together," he said. "The way you behave on the public stage sets the stage for the public. It wouldn't hurt for the public to come together, that would allow for regular folks to talk to their neighbors."

Resch said, "We should take from it that they don't like each other. They don't trust each other. And for now, neither think they need each other."

Kolt said he doesn't know the process that the Legislature is operating under at the moment, but the legislative leaders will meet when it's necessary to do so.

"How the Governor engages in that triangle will be very important. You can meet with minority leaders, but it's the chamber leadership that the Governor has to work with," Kolt said. "It's still April. There's plenty of time. If you ask me this same question in June, though, I may have a different answer."

Walker added, "It's not good. You can't govern by digging trenches. Someone's got to pick up a shovel and build a bridge."