The new fighter mission offers Selfridge Air National Guard Base a future after its aging A-10 fleet retires. It also put a Democratic governor and a Republican president on the same stage in a politically charged Michigan moment.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, credited President Donald Trump with delivering or advancing a project for Michigan when Trump announced a new fighter jet mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township on April 29, 2025. The plan calls for 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets and nearly $1 billion in construction and infrastructure upgrades, addressing years of concern about the base’s future as its A-10 aircraft are retired.
The announcement also revived a pointed political contrast with Joe Biden’s administration. The project had not been completed during Biden’s presidency, according to the headline’s framing, but the public story is more complicated than a single president or governor claiming a win: Selfridge’s future has been the subject of a long bipartisan campaign involving state leaders, federal officials, military personnel and local communities.
Trump put Selfridge’s future onstage
Trump traveled to Selfridge, in Macomb County northeast of Detroit, and announced that the base would receive a new fighter mission built around F-15EX aircraft. The incoming jets are intended to replace the A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet expected to leave the installation.
That replacement mattered because an air base can lose personnel, federal investment and long-term relevance if it does not receive a follow-on mission when an existing aircraft program winds down. For the communities around Selfridge, the issue was not merely ceremonial military planning. It was about jobs, spending and whether a major Michigan installation would remain central to the Air National Guard’s future.
Trump said Whitmer had raised the matter with him during an earlier White House meeting. He praised her and other officials who had pressed the case, then brought the governor onstage during the event.
Whitmer called it a bipartisan win
Whitmer did not present the announcement as an endorsement of Trump’s broader agenda. Instead, she described the fighter mission as a Michigan achievement that had taken decades of work.
At Selfridge, she said she was grateful to celebrate the base’s recapitalization on behalf of Michigan and the service members stationed there. Her office later called the announcement a “huge, bipartisan win” that would support the economy, protect jobs and strengthen national security.
That language is significant. Whitmer’s public credit for Trump was narrow and tied to a specific result: federal support for a fighter mission at Selfridge. It was not a claim that the two leaders agree on governing, trade, immigration, elections or the many other issues where their political differences are sharp.
Still, the image was unmistakable. A prominent Democratic governor stood beside a Republican president and thanked him for an outcome many Michigan officials had sought.
Why the F-15EX mission matters
The F-15EX Eagle II is the latest version of the long-running F-15 fighter platform. A new mission generally requires more than aircraft alone, which is why the reported plan includes nearly $1 billion in construction and infrastructure work.
Those upgrades could affect hangars, maintenance capacity, training facilities, security systems and other base needs, though the full project schedule and detailed allocation of funds remain important questions. Announcements of military missions often begin a process that still requires planning, appropriations and execution over several years.
- For troops: a follow-on mission can provide clearer long-term roles and training needs after the A-10’s retirement.
- For Michigan: the base’s continued relevance supports defense-related employment and regional economic activity.
- For national security: the move keeps a modern fighter presence at a strategically located Great Lakes installation.
- For local governments: it offers a stronger case for infrastructure and workforce planning around the base.
The Biden comparison needs context
The political framing casts Trump as the president who got the project over the finish line after Biden did not. That captures the timing of the April announcement, but it should not erase the longer effort to secure a replacement mission.
Military basing decisions typically involve the Pentagon, the Air Force, the Air National Guard, congressional advocates and years of force-structure planning. Whitmer had been pursuing support for Selfridge before Trump’s announcement, and Republicans including Rep. John James also participated in the push.
There is a fair argument for crediting Trump because the commitment was announced under his administration and because he publicly embraced the case for Selfridge. There is also a fair argument that the result belongs to a broader coalition whose work predated that announcement.
What is clear is that Biden’s administration did not publicly finalize the same new fighter mission for Selfridge before leaving office. What remains less clear from the political rhetoric is how close the proposal may have been at earlier stages, what decisions were made inside the Defense Department, and which elements still require formal funding or implementation.
A risky moment for Whitmer politically
Whitmer’s appearance with Trump came after Democrats had criticized an earlier White House meeting between the two. During that earlier visit, she was caught in an uncomfortable political tableau while Trump signed executive actions and repeated false claims about the 2020 election.
The governor sought to draw a line before the Selfridge event, saying she would work with anyone serious about delivering results while not compromising her beliefs. Her team also emphasized that she was attending to support Michigan troops and the base, not appearing at Trump’s nearby political rally.
That distinction reflects the balancing act facing governors, especially in competitive states. They need federal cooperation for military bases, disaster aid, transportation projects and industrial investment. At the same time, every public interaction with a president from the opposing party can become a test of party loyalty and political ambition.
Michigan gets the result it sought
For Selfridge personnel and nearby communities, the immediate takeaway is more concrete than the partisan back-and-forth: the base has been promised a new fighter mission rather than an uncertain future after the A-10.
For Trump, the event supplied a visible Michigan achievement and an opportunity to highlight bipartisan praise. For Whitmer, it provided a chance to show she can pursue federal results even when doing so creates friction with allies.
The harder work comes next. Michigan leaders will be watching for timelines, construction contracts, funding commitments, delivery plans for the 21 F-15EX jets and the degree to which the nearly $1 billion upgrade materializes. The April 29 announcement answered the central question about Selfridge’s direction; it did not settle every question about execution or political credit.
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