Michigan Senate Candidate Mike Rogers Backs Trump’s Canada Tariffs as Critics Warn of Job Losses: ‘Goodbye Jobs in Michigan’

Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers defended President Donald Trump’s escalating tariff strategy toward Canada during a Fox News interview, arguing that tougher trade policies could protect Michigan auto workers and encourage more vehicles to be built in the state.

Rogers was asked whether he supported Trump’s approach after U.S.-Canada trade negotiations broke down, putting the closely connected auto industries on both sides of the border at the center of the dispute.

Rogers said Michigan had benefited from previous trade agreements and recent manufacturing investment. He cited new production and additional shifts as signs of progress inside the state.

He then turned to Canadian vehicle imports and argued that Michigan should protect domestic auto production.

“The Canadians want 500,000 more Canadian-built cars pushed into Michigan,” Rogers said. “My argument is that should be absolutely unacceptable.” Rogers did not explain during the exchange what the 500,000 figure specifically represented. The U.S. and Canadian auto industries are heavily interconnected, with major manufacturers operating plants and supply chains on both sides of the border.

Rogers said the UAW also opposed that prospect. He argued tariffs could give Michigan auto workers more opportunities to build vehicles locally.

“Don’t we want the tariffs that at least give our auto workers an opportunity to build cars right here in Michigan?” he asked.

Rogers also argued that Michigan needs a senator who can work directly with Trump when the president’s trade policies affect the state. He contrasted that approach with electing someone who would spend their time in Washington fighting the president.

“The Canadians have not been good partners on this,” Rogers said.

Rogers also suggested that Canadian officials were counting on Republicans losing the midterms and claimed Democrats would then pursue policies that would undercut Michigan auto workers.

The trade fight has continued escalating since Rogers’ interview. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said September 1 that negotiations would not resume until the United States took a more serious approach to the talks, while Canada is preparing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods beginning September 8.

The stakes are particularly significant for Michigan because of the state’s extensive trade relationship with Canada and its deeply interconnected auto industry.

Critics Slam Rogers’ Defense of Trump Tariffs

Rogers’ defense of Trump’s tariff strategy drew criticism from viewers who questioned what the escalating trade dispute could mean for Michigan jobs and the state’s economic relationship with Canada.

“Goodbye jobs in Michigan,” one user wrote. Another pointed directly to the cross-border relationship: “Nobody buys more goods from Michigan than Canada.”

Others questioned the political calculation behind Rogers’ position. “Whoever is advising Mike Rogers telling him that supporting Trump’s tariffs on Canada is a good thing for Michigan should be fired,” one response stated.

Rogers is betting that Michigan voters will see Trump’s tariff strategy as a way to protect auto workers and bring more vehicle production into the state. His critics argue the opposite, warning that disrupting trade with Canada could hurt the same Michigan workers Rogers says the tariffs are meant to protect. With the trade dispute still escalating, Michigan voters may ultimately get to decide which argument they find more convincing.