Article courtesy of MIRS for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office announced Tuesday that President Donald Trump agreed during a face-to-face meeting that he would give Northern Michigan additional federal funding to assist in the recovery efforts from last year’s ice storm.
Whitmer Press Secretary Stacey LaRouche said the Governor and Trump met Tuesday afternoon in the White House, during which the President agreed to deliver the additional assistance and the Governor was thankful.
The Governor made the case that small businesses and utilities are still recovering from last year’s ice storms in northern Michigan. In late March 2025, multiple communities were pounded with freezing rain and thick ice overpowering trees, power lines and other infrastructure items.
The announcement comes after months of effort by Michigan House Republicans to secure federal disaster relief funding in the aftermath of ice storms that devastated Northern Michigan in spring of 2025, said Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan).
“I witnessed the devastation the ice storm brought firsthand,” Cavitt said. “The damage more closely resembled a hurricane than a winter storm. I’m glad President Trump took matters into his own hands and secured this funding for our communities. Northern Michigan has been doing everything it can to recover for more than a year. These funds from President Trump are the culmination of months of hard work and close partnership between House Republicans and the White House. I’m proud to see our work pay off.”
Also Tuesday in the White House, the Governor and her team discussed the Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the project to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes.
LaRouche said Whitmer updated Trump on the four dangerous tornadoes that struck southwest Michigan on March 6, resulting in four deaths and more than a dozen injured. Damages took place across Cass, St. Joseph, Branch and Calhoun Counties.
She said conversations continued on two pieces of critical infrastructure, Selfridge in Macomb County and the developing Brandon Road Interbasin project.
“Michigan looks forward to welcoming new fighter jets to Selfridge, which will strengthen our national security, boost base readiness and protect thousands of jobs in Macomb County,” she said, “The governor also reiterated Michigan’s commitment to the Brandon Road project to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and damaging the region’s economy.”
However, LaRouche explained that the ecosystem protection effort aimed at blocking upstream movement of the invasive carp needs funding to be released, so the Army Corps can begin construction as soon as possible.
President Trump shared on Truth Social Tuesday that he was working with Whitmer on “trying to save The Great Lakes from the rather violent and destructive Asian Carp, which is rapidly taking over Lake Michigan, and all of the beautiful surrounds.
“I’ll be asking other Governors to join this fight, including those of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, New York and, of course, the future Governor of Canada, Mark Carney, who I know will be happy to contribute to this worthy cause.”
While DNA evidence puts the Asian Carp miles away from Lake Michigan, there’s no proof the fish is in the Great Lakes, yet.
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