Trump froze a project. One call changed that

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted construction on a state-federal project aimed at preventing invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes, near Joliet, Illinois in July, without providing a clear reason. This pause left officials in Illinois and Michigan searching for answers, as invasive carp were found dangerously close to Lake Michigan.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, made a surprising call to President Donald Trump who subsequently lifted the stop-work order. This unexpected intervention highlights the unique bipartisan relationship between Whitmer and Trump, despite their past political opposition. The project, which has been under uncertainty under Trump's administration, requires technologies to keep invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.

Whitmer had previously pressed Trump for federal funding, which was released the following month after his public support. However, the administration issued another stop-work order in July, citing an administrative review with little explanation. The urgency of the situation increased in August when juvenile invasive carp were detected 80 miles from Lake Michigan for the first time since monitoring began in 2010.

Despite communication gaps, Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois has criticized the Trump administration for not notifying them about the lifted stop-work order.