AMNA NAWAZ: Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been a rising star of the Democratic Party, sometimes mentioned as someone who could one day occupy the White House.

I spoke with the governor earlier today about this presidential race and her book "True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between."

Governor Whitmer, welcome back to the "News Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Thank you.

Good to be with you.

AMNA NAWAZ: So let's start with the news of the day.

I'm sure, as you have seen in your state, in Michigan, polls actually show that President Biden is doing better over time and is now leading former President Trump.

Earlier in the show, we did report on the fact that they have seen this shift post-debate in six states, including three battleground states, away from President Biden towards former President Trump.

You have also now seen folks like Senator Bennet coming out and saying he believes Trump could win in a landslide, that the Republicans could control not only the White House, but also the Senate and the House.

Help us understand your position right now, which is to square the messaging to say beating former President Trump is existential, to save democracy, but also I'm continuing to back the candidate that seems to be losing by more as time goes on.

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: Well, listen, I am from one of the swingiest of states, the state of Michigan.

And I can tell you I don't get upset about polls where we're down a couple points.

I do not celebrate polls that - - where we're up a couple of points.

I know this is going to be a close race.

It always was.

It will continue to be so.

Obviously, the president did not have a good debate performance a couple weeks ago.

It was pretty lousy.

I think we all recognize that.

And yet I have gotten time with him a few times since the debate.

I have got confidence in this president that he's up to this task.

And I am a co-chair of the campaign.

And I'm going to work my tail off to help make sure that he and Vice President Harris are successful in November.

And we do have our work cut out for us, but we can do this, because President Biden has receipts.

President Biden has delivered for people.

We also know the contrast, someone who represents a real clear and present danger to our democracy, to our fundamental rights, to our economy.

And so I think this has always been a close race.

It will continue to be.

But it's real high stakes.

And that's why I'm not wavering in my support.

AMNA NAWAZ: Governor, as you have seen, though, it's not just necessarily one bad poll.

It's a number of polls that show the trend moving the wrong direction, that a close race seems to be actually opening up a lead for former President Trump.

He's -- President Biden has downed six points in Wisconsin in the latest poll.

Does that trouble you, that it's trending that direction?

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: well, President Biden was up in polls just two months ago in Wisconsin as well.

And I think that -- I'm not trying to downplay.

I think polls are an important data point.

But we know that we're about to see the Republicans go into convention.

We still don't even know who Donald Trump's running mate is going to be.

He was recently convicted of 34 felonies.

He is the person that, when he was president, surrounded himself with a Cabinet of cronies, and some of them crooks.

I think that it's important that we not forget that we have got to remind the American voters what's at stake here.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, set the polls aside for a second and talk to me and talk to the people out there who say that they actually want a different choice.

I'm sure you saw the op-ed from George Clooney today, who basically said he loves Joe Biden, but he does believe he should step aside.

And one of the things he revealed in that piece was that every single person he spoke to, every Democrat, every governor, every senator, every member of the House, has privately expressed to him the same concern about Biden losing to Trump, even if they're not doing so publicly.

It sounds like, privately, there's much more widespread concern than is being expressed publicly.

Do you see that?

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: I have a lot of respect for George Clooney, but I will say this.

I haven't talked to him.

And I went to a meeting at the White House with a lot of governors, and they came out.

I think we were unified, and they did a press conference after.

I had to jump on a plane, but I put a statement out in support of the president.

So has Gavin Newsom.

So has everyone from Josh Shapiro to Andy Beshear, J.B. Pritzker, Tim Walz, et cetera.

You see that there's a lot of support for the president, and we recognize there -- a lot of people are playing fantasy football.

They're coming up with, I like this person, this person, this would be a great team.

None of that is really relevant at this moment, because the only person that decides whether or not Joe Biden stays in this race is Joe Biden.

He's made his decision, and it's time for us to not wring our hands, but let's roll up our sleeves and let's do the work.

AMNA NAWAZ: You write, among the many lessons of leadership in your book, about a lot of time you spent being one of the most powerful messengers on this key Democratic issue of reproductive rights and abortion access.

You write in the book very personally about the time that you chose to share on the statehouse floor your own story of being raped in college when you were opposing a related bill, then repealing that bill 10 years later as governor.

The further we move from Roe, though, from Roe being overturned, I wonder, do you think the issue is still potent enough to mobilize that key voting bloc of women that Democrats need this fall?

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: I do, Amna.

I recognize that.

We have had some great victories in Michigan around reproductive freedom.

We have seen the people of Ohio weigh in, Kentucky.

I mean, this is an issue that mobilizes people and that we find common ground with folks who might not consider themselves Democrats, but recognize a woman's fundamental right to make her own decisions is crucial.

I write about it in my book because I think it's important that people have some light and some inspiration in this really heavy, tough election cycle.

I knew it was going to be heavy.

I had no idea all the things that we will confront.

And, certainly, there will be turns you and I can't anticipate right now.

But the intent of writing this book is to share 10 things from my governing philosophy that I have learned at a point in my life that I have utilized over the last six years to get through tough times, from a plot, to a pandemic, to threats on my life and incredible flooding events and challenge after challenge.

How do I stay optimistic and positive is what the question I get the most is.

And that's why I put this book out there.

"True Gretch" is really kind of hoping to give you inspiration or maybe a laugh at my expense or maybe just some light reading in a heavy time.

AMNA NAWAZ: You can't have known that this was the news cycle you would be releasing your book into when you wrote it.

I think that's fair to say.

But it's also fair to say this is the kind of book that people write, with a little bit of background story and laying out a declaration of values, a get to know you kind of book, when they are seeking some higher office.

They want more people to know who they are.

So I just wonder if you think, whenever that time comes, do you think that you would make a good president?

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: Amna, I haven't thought about running for president.

Despite my name showing up in some articles, that's not something that I have spent any energy on.

I really am focused on the state of Michigan.

I have made a pledge to the people of my state that I will serve out this term.

I have got another two-and-a-half years and a lot of things that I want to get accomplished.

And so it's an honor to be listed amongst some of my incredible colleagues as potential future leaders, but it's certainly not something that I'm spending any energy on.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is the Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, and the author of the new book "True Gretch: What I've Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between."

Governor, always great to have you on.

Thank you for joining us.

GOV.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: Thank you.

Good to be with you.