Trump praises Dem Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after slamming her last year: 'Very good person'

"We're honored to have, uh, Gretchen Whitmer," he said before going on to praise the Democratic governor.

The president apparently made the comments while Whitmer was in the Oval Office.

The president's glowing remarks stood in stark contrast to his assertion last year that she is a "terrible governor."

"Governor Whitmer recognizes that the President is flooding Michigan with more jobs, new investments, and economic prosperity-great achievements every governor should want for their state."

But the governor met with Trump on Wednesday.

"At the White House today, Governor Whitmer had a meeting with Speaker Hall and President Trump to discuss the northern Michigan ice storm, investing in Michigan's defense assets, like Selfridge Air National Guard Base, tariffs and the importance of creating good-paying American jobs and bringing back critical supply chains, and keeping our Great Lakes clean and safe," a Whitmer spokesperson noted in a statement, referring to Wednesday."Governor Whitmer thanks President Trump for his acknowledgements on protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp, his work on Selfridge, and his openness to our request for help in northern Michigan. 

"This morning, the governor delivered a speech in Washington, D.C. about the devastating effects tariffs were having on Michiganders -- from companies increasing prices and laying off workers to retirement accounts being wiped out. This afternoon the 90-day pause was announced, and that is a step in the right direction and will provide relief to so many businesses across the state, but we remain concerned about tariffs that will hurt American auto companies," the statement noted, again referring to Wednesday.