Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate in one of the closest U.S. Senate races this fall, has broken with President Donald Trump’s approach to Canada, calling for an end to the tariff war in a campaign ad posted Wednesday.
In the ad, Rogers says Michiganders see Canada as an ally rather than an adversary, according to The Canadian Press. “Canada is not our enemy,” he says, and he urges an end to the “tariff war.” He does not name Trump in the ad.
Asked about the ad, Trump said he read it as Rogers signalling that Canada should make a deal, the Canadian Press reported.
The shift matters because Rogers, a former congressman, had until recently defended the tariffs. Reuters reported on Sept. 17 that he had criticized Canada and said Trump “is right to put America First,” adding that tariffs “are necessary, but are not a one-size-fits-all solution.” He presented his closeness to the president as a strength, arguing he could work on “this part of the trade deal.”
His Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, has made the trade war a central issue. El-Sayed told CNN that Rogers is “caught between knowing full well that these tariffs are bad for Michiganders” and having to appeal to Trump, according to Reuters.
Michigan is a toss-up. The Cook Political Report rates both the Michigan and Maine Senate races as toss-ups, and Reuters reported that Republicans will likely need to win both to hold the Senate in the Nov. 3 midterms.
The state has a direct stake in the dispute. Reuters reported that Michigan exports more than almost any other state to Canada, and analysts expect the tariffs could hit its struggling wood products sector, particularly kitchen cabinet makers, especially hard.
The U.S. imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods in August, according to Reuters. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs, ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on about $20 billion of U.S. goods, took effect Sept. 8.
Public opinion appears to be running against the U.S. tariffs. A Reuters/Ipsos poll cited in the Sept. 17 report found Americans were about four times as likely to blame Washington as Ottawa for the dispute, and only 20 per cent supported higher tariffs on Canadian goods. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not taken a public stance on the tariffs, Reuters reported.
For Canadian readers, the episode shows where pressure on Washington may build. Canadian officials have little say over a U.S. campaign, but the cross-border costs of the tariffs are now being argued out on the U.S. campaign trail in a state whose economy is closely tied to Canada’s.
It is not clear whether Rogers’ ad signals a lasting change in position or a campaign message aimed at Michigan voters. The Rogers campaign’s full text of the ad was not reviewed for this report, and the details of the ad rest on the Canadian Press account. This story is developing.
The change comes as Trump has said he is in no hurry to resume trade talks with Canada, according to a Rio Times summary of his Oct. 5 remarks that Canada News Media could not independently confirm.
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Via The Canadian Press (iNFOnews), with background from Reuters. Original: Michigan Republican candidate breaks with Trump over tariffs on Canada.
