WASHINGTON – Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers has broken with U.S. President Donald Trump over his trade war with Canada as the Republican faces a tight race in a state hit hard by the tariffs.
In a campaign ad posted on social media Wednesday, Rogers said people in Michigan “know that Canada is not our enemy.”
“We need to end this tariff war now,” Rogers said in the ad, which shows the Republican sitting at a bar and holding a Labatt’s beer.
While Rogers doesn’t mention Trump’s name in the ad, it marks a shift in messaging for the former congressman, who previously said tariffs are necessary but not a one-size-fits-all solution.
But the president’s trade war with Canada has become a ballot issue in the close race between Rogers and Democrat candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Trump rapidly escalated his trade war and rhetoric against Canada after negotiations fell apart in August.
Trump signed an order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America and the United States hit an array of Canadian goods with 50 per cent tariffs. A few weeks later, Ottawa responded with its own retaliatory duties.
Last week, a U.S. import ban on some Canadian liquor, whey products and motorcycles officially took effect.
El-Sayed has been making Canada an election issue in the border state, which is being hit hard by Trump’s tariff regime. Michigan’s economy is deeply integrated with many Canadian communities, particularly in the automobile industry.
In response to Rogers’ Wednesday ad, El-Sayed said the Republican has supported Trump’s tariffs from the beginning.
In a news release, El-Sayed said Trump is the reason for the trade war and the reason Rogers is running. He said his opponent is “not a serious person.”
“Must have had one too many of those Labatts, Mike,” El-Sayed said, adding Rogers supported the tariff war “from the beginning” and is “flip-flopping now” because his poll numbers “are in freefall.”
More Republicans have been distancing their campaigns from the president as multiple polls show Trump’s approval rating is dropping over the war with Iran, higher gas prices, inflation and controversial immigration tactics.
Matthew Lebo, a political-science professor at Western University in London, Ont., said polls are showing a general shift towards Democrats compared to the 2024 election, and that has put many Senate races in play ahead of the midterm elections next month.
Democrats would need to achieve a net gain of four seats to get the Senate majority. The Michigan race in particular could prove critical.
“Michigan is as close to a 50-50 state as there is, having voted since 2008 for Obama, Obama, Trump, Biden and Trump,” Lebo said in a text message.
Rogers is not an incumbent, Lebo added, so it’s harder to link him with all of Trump’s more contentious moves as president.
“He can try to paint himself as an independent-minded Republican who will break with Trump when it’s the right thing for Michiganders,” Lebo said. “That’s a good strategy to get Republicans to the polls even if they are unhappy with Trump.”
Trump praised Rogers during a highly unusual Republican convention in Texas last month. The Michigan Senate candidate also spoke during the event, billed as “Trump-a-Palooza” — he repeatedly criticized his opponent but did not address the trade war with Canada.
When asked about the ad at the White House later Wednesday, Trump said he saw it as Rogers saying Canada should make a deal.
“I viewed him as saying he thinks Canada should make a deal,” Trump said, before repeating his claims about Canada ripping off the United States.
Trump added Canada wants to make a deal but his administration is not satisfied.
