Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer owned the ridicule she has received for the bizarre mishap earlier this week, admitting she wished she acted differently in the moment.

'You asked me what was going on in my mind at that moment,' Whitmer said on Monday. 

'It was ''I don't want my picture taken'' — that's all it was.'

Whitmer was waiting for Trump in the Oval Office when a group of journalists entered the room to watch the president sign executive orders.

She awkwardly held up two blue folders in an effort to cover her face as pictures were taken.

One image taken by New York Times photographer Eric Lee shows the liberal governor shielding her face from the cameras while flanked by Trump aides. 

'I kinda wish I hadn't put my folder up in front of my face,' she said, before adding, 'but whatever. We all have our moments.' 

When Whitmer finally lowered the folder, she looked deeply uncomfortable, with commenters saying she seemed embarrassed to be meeting a political foe.

Her trip to Washington D.C. centered on discussions about tariffs and the aftermath of a severe ice storm, for which she sought a Presidential Emergency Declaration. 

Her office stated she was unexpectedly brought into the Oval Office during Trump's signing of executive orders and proclamations, leading to the photograph. 

Critics interpreted the image as Whitmer attempting to distance herself from the president, even though she was part of a bipartisan delegation advocating for Michigan. 

'This looks so stupid and childish, that it needs to be printed & framed in the Oval Office,' one X user commented.

'Maybe she thought if she couldn't see Trump signing, the economy would magically fix itself in Michigan…' another said.

'Why didn't she just hold her head up high and express she was there for one reason only - the wellbeing of her state and no matter who is in office she is going to work with them for the better of her people? …like a normal governor should,' read a third comment.