Michigan plans to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant have gone bankrupt, and Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that “large-scale economic uncertainty” should be blamed.
Bringing the company to Michigan is a key goal for Whitmer, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate who was the last few years of battlefield state governor.
Domestic manufacturing is a priority for President Donald Trump’s second administration, and the president’s use of tariffs is a way to inspire companies to build and stay in the United States. Although Whitmer did not mention Trump in his speech, she pointed to his tariffs and shocked the economy regularly this year.
“Their board has made this decision due to the national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening in the threat of higher tariffs,” Whitmer said in a statement.
Whitmer didn’t name the company, but state records show California-based technology company Sandisk Corp. is considering 1,300 acres of land near the city of Flint and forecasts 9,400 jobs and 5,000 construction jobs.
Sandisk declined to comment on Wednesday.
The news quickly sparked duel political rhetoric between Republicans and Democrats in the state.
White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement that the Trump administration is using tariffs and other strategies to bring manufacturing back to the United States.
Desai points to new semiconductor development Texas and Arizona This year, the Trump administration has won the chips and technology industry.
Other Democrats soon attributed Michigan’s losses to Trump’s economic policy on Wednesday.
“Trump abandoned long-term investments and messy tariff practices not only raised costs, but also killed 10,000 highly paid jobs,” said Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat representing the region, and Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat representing the region, in a statement. “It could have changed the game in the Midhigan economy.”
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall said he supports Trump’s strategy of relying on tariffs and incentives in the Tax and Spending Act to bring manufacturing development to the U.S. rather than overseas.
“We just need national leaders who focus on ensuring the best location for Michigan to build and develop,” he said.
Sandisk, known for making flash drives and memory cards, hopes to break the project in 2025, according to documents provided by Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Michigan’s cash grants provided $19.22 billion, $250 million in labor development funds, and tax relief of about $3.76 billion.
Congress passed the Chips and Science Act, which motivated former President Joe Biden to half of his tenure. even though Trump and Republican lawmakers have since threatened to end For the bill, the Department of Commerce is working with Sandisk to secure federal incentives through packaging.
Whitmer said in a statement that the company no longer wants to build a semiconductor facility anywhere in the U.S. in a May speech, Whitmer said she has been advocating directly with the Trump administration to help bring chip factories to the state.
