In the article Whitmer says that she knew she was on her own to fend for Michigan after a call with Trump in mid-March. Whitmer had asked the federal government to supply Michigan with needed N95 masks from the national stockpile, and Trump reportedly declined and insisted states acquire their own supplies. Whitmer has since stood by her executive orders and is currently reopening the states economy in phases. A study by Imperial College London and Oxford University found that Whitmers rapid and aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic could have saved tens of thousands of lives. The author does say that based on the many conversations theyve had over the last few months, Gov.