A rumor that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Witmer was allegedly on a "hot mic" disrespecting her constituents circulated online in June 2026.
Social media users posted the claim online following a groundbreaking for a new OpenAI data center in Saline Township, Michigan, on June 1, 2026. Among the attendees were Whitmer, Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Some users sharing the rumor included a brief video of the exchange in question, in which Whitmer purportedly was caught telling Magouryk, "We're used to people saying 'f*** no,' and doing it anyway."
The video appeared to be authentic but we could not definitively confirm whether Whitmer said, "We're used to people saying 'f*** no,' and doing it anyway." Therefore we have left this claim unrated.
The 10-second clip circulating on social media originated from a longer video posted by a social media account called Stop Saline Data Center, which said the footage was "from the meet-and-greet held outside just before the speaking event, as executives and representatives shook hands for the cameras."
This aligned with information given to Snopes by a spokesperson for Whitmer, who said the governor was making small talk before the news conference and denied saying the phrase in question.
Whitmer's office told Snopes via email:
Governor Whitmer did not make that statement and it's not a statement that she would support.
We've heard from Michiganders that it is extremely important for our state to have a strong framework in place to protect Michiganders and communities where data centers want to locate. Michigan requires companies to pay their own way, prohibits them from passing costs onto ratepayers, protects our water, and holds them accountable for creating good-paying jobs. We are encouraged by conversations in the legislature to ensure Michigan continues to have the strongest protections in the country.
Magouyrk told Snopes via email that the video "does not accurately reflect the substance or tone of that conversation, and the audio appears to have been manipulated." He added that he had a "constructive conversation" with the governor "about the significant opportunity this project creates for Michigan, including the creation of jobs, community investments, and long-term growth."
Snopes reached out to the videographer credited with filming the moment in question, a Michigan-based video producer named Cilla Cresswell who confirmed she recorded the exchange.
Cresswell told Snopes via email:
I have footage before and after what was shared. I'm not sure the extent of trimming down that has been done since I've been informed that shorter clips are circulating. After speaking with Clay, Gretchen went into a bathroom trailer seemingly until the presentation was about to start. So, I did end my footage with her as she left the area.
Before Gretchen shook hands with and spoke with Clay, she was speaking with Sam Altman. Both these conversations were only a few minutes long. There were other cameras around me during these conversations as well. I'm unsure if they were recording audio or not.
Snopes' review of Cresswell's raw file from which the clip was taken — the full version was four minutes and 40 seconds — matched Creswell's description and the shortened version circulating online.
Cresswell's footage had superior video quality and marginally better audio quality. While the footage and audio appeared to match, the audio was still too distorted to conclusively determine exactly what Whitmer and Magouyrk said.
Whitmer's office and Cresswell confirmed that the event — including the moment in question — was also documented by real estate developer Related Digital, which is involved in the Saline Township project.
Cresswell said, "Given their industrial recording quality I would imagine they have somewhere a parallel shot of the same thing — whether they would divulge it is another question. But they were certainly present and likely had better coverage."
We will update this article if we are able to obtain Related Digital's footage to cross-reference with Cresswell's. It's worth noting that the clothing worn by Whitmer and Magouyrk in Cresswell's footage matches that shown in video of the news conference itself, which can be seen from different angles on YouTube.
Regarding Magouyrk's claim of audio manipulation, Snopes attempted to clean up the audio from the shortened clip with digital tools, removing background noise.
It was still too distorted to definitively make out what was being discussed before Whitmer's alleged comment, other than Magouyrk thanking the governor for having him there. It did appear that Whitmer said the phrase in question, but the specific context is inaudible in the footage available and we were unable to conclusively determine that it was free of digital manipulation — though the audio did match the audio of the raw footage.
Following Whitmer's comment, Magouyrk appeared to mention the weather, saying, "Nobody can live through the winter like you do," seemingly referring to Michigan's heavy snowfall.
The AI-detection platform Hive Moderation reported a 1.2% chance that the footage shared online showed signs of AI-generation content, but it should be noted that such platforms are not always reliable.
(Hive Moderation)
Whitmer announced the data center project in October 2025, which was met with negative reaction from residents of the Saline Township.
For further reading, Snopes previously investigated whether House Speaker Mike Johnson said on a hot mic that it would be "huge" for the Republican Party if SAVE America Act lowered voter turnout.