Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers is distancing himself from President Donald Trump’s trade fight with Canada in a new campaign ad.
The former congressman never names Trump, but the target is unmistakable, reported CNN. The president imposed 50 percent tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports, a heavy blow to a state whose economy is tightly bound to its northern neighbor.
The ad, set in a bar, opens with a pitch to Michigan identity and a popular Canadian beer: “Drinking a Labatt and watching the Red Wings — man, it just doesn’t get any more Michigan than that.”
“Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy,” Rogers says in the 30-second spot. “We need to end this tariff war — now. As Michigan’s senator, I’ll bring both parties together to lower your prices. That’s job number one.”
It’s a sharp turn for Rogers, who as recently as August defended tariffs as “necessary,” while cautioning that they “are not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
The ad isn’t his first break with the White House. Last month, Rogers said Trump’s war with Iran needs to “end quickly,” joining several Republicans in competitive governor and Senate races who have put space between themselves and the president.
Rogers faces Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, for the seat left open by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in a race that could decide control of the Senate. Democrats need a net gain of four seats, and losing Michigan would make that math far tougher.
El-Sayed has hammered both the tariffs and the Iran war for driving up prices, and he didn’t hold back on Canada last month.
“Canadians are like the only people in the world who are going to preemptively apologize for something they didn’t even do. If you’re starting a trade war with Canada, you’re the a**hole,” he told reporters. “There’s a smart use of tariffs. This ain’t it. This is a vanity war.”
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