President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office on Tuesday by visiting the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, where he announced a new fighter jet mission at the base. This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow spoke about the base’s history and significance to the region.

Also, Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) stopped by to talk about his run for governor and his vision for the state.

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In this episode:

• President Trump rallies in Michigan for 100th day
• Historical and political significance of Selfridge
• Sen. Nesbitt’s vision for Michigan

Nesbitt is joined by U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) and former U.S. House candidate Anthony Hudson in seeking the GOP nomination in Michigan’s gubernatorial race. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have both launched campaigns, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an Independent candidate.

Nesbitt spoke with Kasben and Gorchow about what his “common sense” priorities would be if he were chosen as the state’s next governor.

“I’m working around the state, I’m going to put together a campaign that’s  going to put Michigan first, and a campaign that’s going to offer positive conservative solutions to fix some of the deepest problems in Michigan,” Nesbitt said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been both lauded and criticized in recent weeks for her attempts to bend Trump’s ear about her state’s priorities. But the Democratic governor has responded to her critics by pointing to the results her meetings with Trump have yielded — including the 21 new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets replacing the aging A-10 squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. 

Nesbitt says Whitmer’s collaboration with Trump has been good to see.

“I think people expect leaders to be able to work to get things done,” he said. “And believe me, I’m not going to agree with the governor and neither is President Trump going to agree with the governor on things like men competing in women’s sports — she seems to support that and we’re opposed to that — or having all this money spent on DEI initiatives — I’m going to actively oppose any of that and so is President Trump…but as I look at it, having President Trump come to Michigan to celebrate his first 100 days shows the importance of Michigan; how much he cares about Michigan.”

More from WDET:

• Whitmer on dealmaking with Trump: ‘I will fight back when I need to’
• President Trump marks 100 days in office with Macomb County trip
• MichMash: Sen. Nesbitt on trying to find ‘common ground’ with Michigan Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable.

The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election, as Republicans have long complained about them.

Paula Kerger, PBS’ CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administration’s effort to rescind funding for public media would “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” she said. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.

Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.

The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.

—Reporting by AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro.