Jen Psaki and Gov. Whitmer talk gun safety, abortion rights and presidential politics

So this week I went to Michigan and I sat down with one of the school's most well-known alumni, Governor Gretchen Whitmer. We talked about gun violence, the threats on her life, abortion rights, and even some presidential politics. We're sitting here with the backdrop of Michigan State University. You're pushing to get gun reform legislation through because three students were killed just a few weeks ago here in Michigan. Do you think there would still have been the will to do that in the legislature had that tragedy not happened? Well, we have a new legislature and I think that's part of why we've been able to accomplish so much in this first 100 days. I mean, in this last election we ran the tables here in Michigan. It was not something anyone expected in the midterm after all the challenges we had, but we flipped both the House and the Senate and now we have leaders in the legislature that are working with me as opposed to against me. That must feel different. It feels amazing. But you know, I think that these sobering mass shootings that play out across our country every single day mean we've got to take action. You know, I said not long ago, the time for only thoughts and prayers is over. Well, one of the things that's not in the bill that is a little bit more split in terms of political support in the country is an assault weapons ban. Is that why it wasn't in this initial package? Well, I think it's important that we do what we said we were going to do. So on the campaign trail, we said these three things we know gun owners support, Republicans and Democrats support, Michiganders overall support. So let's get this done. But the conversation doesn't end there. And so I do think that there is more work that we will do together. But I think you got to, when we tell people what we're going to do, we got to do it. You got to do it. But an assault weapons ban could be something you still push for in the future. I think, you know, the conversation will continue. I'm not going to draw lines. I'm not going to endorse anything. I'm not going to put timelines on. But I do think that this gets us started. You have also been targeted by militia groups. You've talked about this a fair amount. There was the plot to kidnap you back in 2020. That was thankfully, of course, stopped by the FBI. But does this creep into your head? I mean, militia groups are groups that would not be proponents of gun legislation. Does it creep into your head as you're thinking about pushing this forward and getting this passed and what the opponents of it may think or do? Yeah. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I don't think about all the threats that I have received or that my family has received or that other public officials have received. It is so scary and so common in this country right now for people to just threaten someone with whom they disagree. That's not what this democracy is all about. It needs to be called out. We need, we must take action. Presidential candidate is Vice President Mike Pence. And he made some comments last weekend at the gridiron dinner in the dark of night. I will say I was in the dinner where he made a strong comments yet about president, his former president Donald Trump. Did you see those comments and what was your reaction to them? You know, I mean, it's not profiles encouraged. That was my reaction. This kind of language should be public and it should have happened a long time ago. But welcome. Welcome to the conversation. So I have to ask you, I know you're asked this all the time. I know you've brushed off the idea of throwing your hat in the ring for presidential ring in 2024. But what about the future? You know, I don't know. I don't know what the future looks like. Jen, when I left the legislature, I thought I was never going to run for office again. And here I am in my fifth year as governor of the state. I know enough about myself that if I see a problem that's not getting fixed and I think I can do something about it, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and try. All that being said, I am 51 years old. I've signed up for But, you know, I'm going to do this job by the end of this term. I'll be 55. And, you know, my mom passed when she was 59. I cared for her at the end of her life. And I'm not super focused on that or worried about it. But it is in the back of my head that, you know, no one knows how long we're going to be on this on this earth. And I'm really lucky to be where I'm at right now. And there's no other place I'd rather be in this moment. So that wasn't exactly a no that I heard from the governor there on her plans to run for president in the future. My thanks to Governor Whitmer for spending some time with me in Michigan.