Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers breaks with Trump on tariffs

By Eric Bradner, CNN

(CNN) — Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, is breaking with President Donald Trump over his tariffs on Canada in a new advertisement.

“Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war — now,” Rogers says in the 30-second spot. “As Michigan’s senator, I’ll bring both parties together to lower your prices. That’s job number one.”

The former congressman didn’t use Trump’s name in the ad. But it’s a clear reference to the economic impact of the president’s decision to slap 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods imported into the United States.

He is the latest in a growing list of GOP candidates breaking with Trump on key issues. Rogers last month said Trump’s war with Iran needs to “end quickly” — a position shared by several other Republican candidates in competitive races for governor or the Senate.

The new ad is the most outspoken Rogers has been against Trump’s tariffs. In a statement in August, the former congressman said tariffs are “necessary, but are not a one-size-fits-all solution.”

The ad is filmed in a bar, with Rogers opening by making a reference to a Canadian brewing giant, and Detroit’s professional hockey team.

“Drinking a Labatt and watching the Red Wings — man, it just doesn’t get any more Michigan than that,” he says.

Rogers faces Democratic former public health official Abdul El-Sayed in a race that is critical to the battle for control of the Senate. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to claim the majority — a task that would grow much harder should the party lose the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in Michigan.

El-Sayed has long been critical of Trump’s tariffs, as well as the war with Iran, both of which he says are driving up prices for Americans.

“We all know Canadians. 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,” El-Sayed told reporters last month. “There’s a smart use of tariffs. This ain’t it. This is a vanity war.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.