Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., greeted President Donald Trump on the tarmac in Michigan before his speech to National Guard members on Tuesday, where she also spoke at the event without hiding her face.

«Well, I hadn’t planned to speak, but on behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country and serve so honorably on behalf of the State of Michigan, I am really damn happy we’re here,» Whitmer said.

Fox News co-host Judge Jeanine Pirro said on «The Five» Tuesday that Whitmer had a chance to set the tone for the Democratic Party.

«I think that…of course, she’s there because of the troops, but there are some Democrats who wouldn’t be in the same room with Donald Trump,» Pirro said. «I think that she did the right thing, and I think that wanting to work with the president to bring back manufacturing to Michigan is a smart move.»

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During the event on Tuesday, Trump unveiled plans to swap out the retiring A-10 Warthog aircraft based out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets.

Trump shared the details during a speech to National Guard members at the Michigan base before an event commemorating his 100th day in office.

«So I want to thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it also to our attention very strongly. And, you know, I’m not supposed to do that. She’s a Democrat. They say, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t have her here.’ I said, ‘No, she’s going to be here,’» Trump said. «She’s done a very good job, frankly. And she’s she was very much involved with, with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it. And it was not easy. So I want to thank you very much, Gretchen. Good job.»

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer looks on as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Whitmer’s presence Tuesday came a few weeks after seemingly hiding her face during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.

Whitmer was criticized for shielding her face with a folder as a photo of the moment became a meme on social media.

She poked fun at the now-viral moment by once again holding folders up in front of her face when asked about her trip to Washington, D.C., during an event at the Detroit Economic Club after the meeting with the president. 

«… I don’t want my picture taken, that’s all it was. I kind of wished I hadn’t put my folder up in front of my face, but whatever. You know I was there … I just wrote a book about learning to laugh at yourself, so I’m pretty good at it. We all have our moments,» Whitmer said. 

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer waits with Michigan National Guard adjutant general Major Gen. Paul Rogers at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Tuesday, in Harrison Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The governor’s trip to Washington brought her 2028 presidential ambitions into the national conversation as she struck a diplomatic tone with Trump. She carefully criticized Trump’s tariffs while saying she understood the «motivation behind the tariffs» and even agreeing with Trump that we «need to make more stuff in America.»

Whitmer’s Oval Office moment marked her second meeting with Trump in less than a month, and Tuesday’s meeting now marks the third. As Trump signed executive orders from the Oval Office on April 9 and answered questions from the press, he said Whitmer had «done an excellent job» as governor and called her a «very good person,» a break from his typical lines of attack on her character. 

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When Trump signed the executive orders calling for the investigation of two first-term administration aides who were critical of his actions, Whitmer’s office said she was brought into the room «without any notice» and that her appearance was «not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made.»

But Trump called the issues «bipartisan» and jokingly added, «We’ll all stand there together and cut a ribbon. OK, Gretchen?»

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

A large plot of private land in Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago may soon be sold for about €300 million ($330 million), but the deal has raised concerns in Oslo over national security.

The property, known as Søre Fagerfjord, covers roughly 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) and is the last privately owned land in Svalbard. 

A group of international and Norwegian investors has offered to buy the land, but officials in Norway worry it could give foreign powers a strategic foothold in a sensitive Arctic region.

The land is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the main town of Longyearbyen and has been in Norwegian hands for over a century. It was listed for sale last year, and the government quickly made it clear that any sale must be cleared in advance due to security laws.

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One of the sellers even called it a «strategic foothold in the High Arctic,» which has only fueled concerns. 

Svalbard is becoming more important as melting sea ice opens up new shipping routes and increases global interest in the region.

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A white rainbow over the Arctic Sea at Svalbard, Norway.  (Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The buyers describe themselves as environmentalists from NATO countries who want to protect the land.

 «The consortium includes both Norwegian and international investors who have a long-term perspective of protecting this territory from environmental changes,» said Birgit Liodden, a shareholder and climate activist. 

She added that about half the money from the sale would go toward environmental projects in Svalbard. So far, the group has not discussed the sale with the Norwegian government.

In the area surrounding Nordenskjøld Land National Park in Svalbard, a lone polar bear is exposed on the rocks where a decade ago a glacier stood. (Mark Fitzsimmons, Sony World Photography Awards 2023)

Still, Norwegian officials are cautious. In 2024, they blocked a similar attempt by Chinese investors. Trade Minister Cecilie Myrseth warned at the time that such actions could harm regional stability and threaten national interests.

Svalbard is governed by a 1920 treaty that gives over 40 countries, including Russia, China and the U.S., equal rights to live and do business there. 

Russia, which operates a settlement on the islands, has accused Norway of breaking the treaty by increasing its military presence, something Norway denies.

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The sellers’ lawyer, Per Kyllingstad, said the buyers only want to protect nature and that the sale should not be blocked.