Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan dodged a question about whether President Donald Trump's threats of jailing and executing political opponents have gone too far when he appeared on WXYZ's Spotlight on the News over the weekend. The exchange comes as Trump has been calling Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, "traitors" whose actions are "punishable by DEATH" after they released a video reminding military members that they can refuse unlawful orders.
When asked about Trump's comments, Duggan replied, "I've stayed out of these national debates. I'm not going to get involved in the national debate." He dodged the question, as he often has when asked about Trump's behavior and policies. Host Chuck Stokes quickly moved on, promising to come back with "some more positive things."
Duggan's response is part of a pattern in his 2026 governor's race where he casts himself as a post-partisan problem-solver while dodging questions about Trump's most extreme actions and rhetoric. He has refused to touch controversial issues, including Trump's recent rhetoric and policies that have become state issues.
Trump's administration has ordered federal immigration raids that rely on state cooperation, pushed to deploy U.S. troops into American cities, and threatened to withhold funding to some states. His administration's policies deal with everything from health care access and public safety to immigration enforcement.
Last week, Trump's dangerous rhetoric drew widespread condemnation, even from members of his own party. Slotkin reportedly received a bomb threat last week. Duggan isn't willing to talk about it.
Instead, he touts his ability to "bring Democrats and Republicans together." This approach has raised eyebrows among some observers who question whether Duggan is using this tactic as a way to distance himself from Trump's rhetoric while still appealing to his base of Republican donors and Trump supporters.
Duggan's refusal to condemn Trump for threatening the lives of Slotkin and others is a sharp departure from his past criticism of the president. Either Duggan has changed his position on Trump, or he's willing to tolerate the threats and bigotry of the administration.
The real question in this campaign may not be whether he's a Democrat, Republican, or independent, but rather whether Michigan voters will accept a governor who won't say where he stands when it really matters.
When asked about Trump's comments, Duggan replied, "I've stayed out of these national debates. I'm not going to get involved in the national debate." He dodged the question, as he often has when asked about Trump's behavior and policies. Host Chuck Stokes quickly moved on, promising to come back with "some more positive things."
Duggan's response is part of a pattern in his 2026 governor's race where he casts himself as a post-partisan problem-solver while dodging questions about Trump's most extreme actions and rhetoric. He has refused to touch controversial issues, including Trump's recent rhetoric and policies that have become state issues.
Trump's administration has ordered federal immigration raids that rely on state cooperation, pushed to deploy U.S. troops into American cities, and threatened to withhold funding to some states. His administration's policies deal with everything from health care access and public safety to immigration enforcement.
Last week, Trump's dangerous rhetoric drew widespread condemnation, even from members of his own party. Slotkin reportedly received a bomb threat last week. Duggan isn't willing to talk about it.
Instead, he touts his ability to "bring Democrats and Republicans together." This approach has raised eyebrows among some observers who question whether Duggan is using this tactic as a way to distance himself from Trump's rhetoric while still appealing to his base of Republican donors and Trump supporters.
Duggan's refusal to condemn Trump for threatening the lives of Slotkin and others is a sharp departure from his past criticism of the president. Either Duggan has changed his position on Trump, or he's willing to tolerate the threats and bigotry of the administration.
The real question in this campaign may not be whether he's a Democrat, Republican, or independent, but rather whether Michigan voters will accept a governor who won't say where he stands when it really matters.
his threats against slotkin and others are straight up terrifying what is duggan trying to accomplish by not condemning those statements? like, can't we just have a simple answer for once instead of playing it safe and hoping no one notices he's scared 
i'm starting to think this whole "post-partisan problem-solver" thing is just code for "i don't want to ruffle any feathers" 
This whole thing with Trump's rhetoric is getting outta hand 
. As a Michigander, I'm worried about our governor's silence on this issue. Duggan's all about being a "post-partisan problem-solver" but is that just code for "I don't wanna rock the boat"? 
. If Duggan can't stand up to Trump, who will? 
I think it's time for politicians to stop playing it safe and actually stand up for what they believe in. As a governor, he should be able to have a strong stance on issues like this without being afraid of retribution.
The fact that his campaign team thinks this tactic will play well with voters in Michigan just goes to show how divided our politics are right now.
. He's trying to be all post-partisan and problem-solver-y, but that's just code for "I'm scared of ruffling any feathers" 
. And honestly, his response is soooo not what we need in a governor – someone who's willing to stand up for our state's values and our people 
. We deserve better than some politician playing it safe and saying "oh, I won't get involved in the national debate" 
. It's time for Duggan to take a clear stance on Trump's toxic rhetoric and policies – or maybe we should just vote for someone who will actually stand up for us 
instead he's all like "i'm not gonna get involved" which sounds super scripted to me 
i feel like hes trying to appeal to republicans while still pretending to be a democrat at the same time 
either way its really concerning and i dont think michigan voters should just accept him for this reason alone 
. Slotkin got a bomb threat last week... how many more are they gonna have to deal with cuz of this guy? and Duggan won't even condemn him, that's wild 
instead of facing it head-on 
We need our leaders to take a stand on issues that matter, even if it means ruffling some feathers 
.
. Detroit Mayor Duggan seems like the perfect example of how politics can get all complicated, but at the end of the day, we just want leaders who will stand up against hate speech and protect their constituents' rights 
. I hope voters see through Duggan's tactics and hold him accountable for his words and actions 
.