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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed to veto any legislation targeting the LGBTQ community just one night after President Donald Trump talked about banning minors' gender transition surgeries without parental consent.
"I want you to know that you are welcome in Michigan," Whitmer said in her State of the State Address on Wednesday night. "You belong, you matter, and no matter who comes after you, I'll stand in the way."
The Democrat leader added: "In Michigan, we look out for each other. That's why I'll always fight for your freedom and safety. And I'll veto any legislation that diminishes your humanity. I got your back."
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Trump vowed to ban sex changes for minors without parental consent in his State of the Union, while Whitmer's remarks spoke right past parents' rights - flash points in both the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election cycle - with a presumptive vow to veto any sex change bans.
"Surely we can all agree, no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents' arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents' will," Trump said in his State of the Union on Tuesday night. "Who would believe that we're even talking about it? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately."
Trump's effort to ban gender transitions for minors without parental consent puts the political onus on the parents' rights to decide their children's fate. Any Whitmer vow to veto legislation of such a ban would pit the state's rights against the parent.
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Whitmer is term-limited, opening up the key battleground state of Michigan as the top of the 2026 midterm election cycle, potentially setting her up to get an early start on a 2028 Democratic presidential primary campaign.
"Gretchen Whitmer's vow to veto protections for children facing irreversible sex-change procedures is beyond extreme - it's outright deranged," Republican National Committee national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Fox News in a statement. "While President Trump and Republicans are fighting to protect minors, including the young girl he recognized at the State of the Union who was saved from mutilation surgery, Whitmer is siding with radical activists pushing permanent medical procedures on children. Democrats would rather defend the sterilization and castration of minors than stand with parents and basic common sense, and Republicans will continue fighting to stop this dangerous agenda."
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Fox News reached out to Whitmer's office for a response, but they did not immediately answer.
With Whitmer termed out, the 2026 Michigan gubernatorial race is shaping up to be a defining test for both parties.
Democrats face the challenge of defending one of five governorships in states carried by Trump in 2024. The primary battle lines are already drawn, with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson currently leading the Democrat charge and Rep. John James, R-Mich., fronting the Republican ticket.
While the last two cycles saw decisive Democrat victories, the 2026 gubernatorial contest introduces a new variable: former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Running as an independent, his presence on the ballot could fracture traditional voting blocs and turn a once-predictable race into a three-way toss-up.
