Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers released a new 30-second ad calling for an end to the trade war with Canada, declaring that the country is not Michigan's enemy — a direct break from President Donald Trump's tariff agenda just one day before Rogers' first debate against Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed.
“We need to end this tariff war — now,” Rogers says in the ad, according to CNN. The spot shows Rogers seated at a bar drinking a Labatt beer while watching the Detroit Red Wings, a scene he frames as quintessentially Michigan. “Drinking a Labatt and watching the Red Wings — man, it just doesn't get any more Michigan than that,” he says in the ad. Notably, CNN reports that the former congressman never mentions Trump by name, even as he references the economic toll of the president's tariffs on Canada.
On his campaign site, Rogers goes further, stating plainly that “Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war,” according to Rogers' campaign. He pledges to work across party lines to bring down prices if elected, while the ad simultaneously goes after El-Sayed, accusing him of wanting “to hit Michigan families with a $3,000 tax increase,” per the same campaign posting.
A Deliberate Shift From Rogers' Earlier Tariff Stance
Rogers' position has been evolving for weeks. Back on Aug. 29, he described tariffs as “necessary, but are not a one-size-fits-all solution,” according to the Detroit News. The new ad marks a sharper turn, running statewide as part of what Rogers' campaign calls a seven-figure coordinated buy involving the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Trump himself downplayed any rift when asked about the ad. “I viewed it as wanting Canada to make a deal,” the president said, as reported by WHEC. Trump has also said Canada had been taking advantage of the United States for many years, per the Denver Gazette's reporting. Earlier this year, the White House said Trump signed three proclamations under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose additional 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods, according to a White House fact sheet — tariffs CNN reports apply to roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods.
Rogers Joins a Widening List of GOP Dissenters
CNN describes Rogers as “the latest in a growing list of GOP candidates breaking with Trump on key issues.” That split isn't isolated: a Reuters review found that two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive House and Senate races have either broken with Trump on policy or sought distance from him this year, according to U.S. News. Other Michigan Republicans have echoed similar sentiments. U.S. Rep. John James said the U.S. and Canada “must get back to the table, stop acting like children, and negotiate,” per the Detroit News. Rep. Tom Barrett said he wants “mutually beneficial trade arrangements with Canada,” while Rep. John Moolenaar called Canada “an important trading partner” and said he hopes the dispute gets resolved. Republican House candidate Michael Bouchard said he wants Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports to end, even as he continues to support tariffs against China and other countries.
U.S. News also reports that Michigan automakers depend on integrated cross-border supply chains, and industry leaders have warned a prolonged trade war could threaten jobs. Michigan's exports to Canada fell from $24.6 billion in 2024 to $23.2 billion last year, and Canada's retaliatory tariffs could constrain about $1.5 billion worth of Michigan exports, ranking the state seventh nationally in exposure, according to the Detroit News' business desk.
Michigan Voters Are Souring on the Trade War
Polling suggests Rogers' pivot tracks with where Michigan voters already stand. A Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll of 600 likely voters found just 29% approved of Trump's Canadian tariffs, while 64% disapproved; about 62% said the tariffs are bad for Michigan's economy compared with 17% who called them good, and nearly 72% said the tariffs would raise what they personally pay for goods, per the Detroit News' political coverage. In focus groups observed by NPR, 11 of 13 Michigan swing voters said the trade war with Canada would be bad for the state, and nine said they were personally worried about paying more for goods as a result, according to NPR.
A Tight Race With Control of the Senate at Stake
Rogers, a former congressman who represented Michigan for seven terms in the House, is making his second attempt at a Senate seat after coming within 19,000 votes of defeating Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024, per the Denver Gazette. He now faces El-Sayed, a former public health official, in what CNN calls a race “critical to the battle for control of the Senate.” El-Sayed has been a vocal critic of both Trump's tariffs and the war with Iran, arguing both are driving up prices for Americans, CNN reports.
Polling on the contest itself is mixed. A CBS Detroit poll conducted October 1 showed El-Sayed leading Rogers 45.6% to 41.4% among likely voters, according to CBS News Detroit, while U.S. News separately described the race as “neck-and-neck.” Rogers' new ad lands a day ahead of his first debate against El-Sayed, giving both camps fresh fodder on tariffs, prices and party loyalty heading into their first face-to-face exchange.
