Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers is catching heat for an abrupt policy pivot on trade, a move that has drawn fire from both his political opponents and the architect of the tariffs themselves.
The scene was designed to be relatable: a candidate sitting at a bar, a cold Labatt in his hand, talking about the Detroit Red Wings. But for Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers, the Wednesday release of his latest campaign ad triggered a firestorm that had little to do with beer or hockey.
“Drinking a Labatt and watching the Red Wings, man, it just doesn’t get any more Michigan than that,” Rogers says in the spot. “Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war now.”
Rogers. who promised to unite Democrats and Republicans to prioritize Michigan families. quickly found that his pivot hit a wall of skepticism. The move was met with immediate scrutiny. as observers pointed out that the candidate had actively supported these very tariffs as recently as August. He had even defended the trade friction just last month. asserting at the time that “the Canadians have not been good partners.”.
Criticism of the shift was swift and public. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed took to social media to mock the ad. questioning if Rogers had “had one too many of those LaBatts” and accusing him of flip-flopping due to plummeting poll numbers. Others surfaced past social media records. including posts highlighting that Rogers is currently backing legislation that would grant Donald Trump even broader tariff powers.
When asked about the apparent break from his own trade agenda. Trump offered a surprisingly muted response. suggesting he viewed the move as Rogers hoping for a deal rather than an act of defiance. This stands in stark contrast to Trump’s earlier remarks this week. where he insisted that “Canada behaves very badly with the United States” and claimed. “We’ve caught them in the act. They charged us a lot of tariffs that nobody knew about — except me.”.
This tactical flip is not happening in a vacuum. Similar maneuvers have appeared elsewhere in the party as election pressure mounts. Last month. Iowa GOP House Representative and Senate candidate Ashley Hinson aired an advertisement calling for an end to the war in Iran—despite having voted against House resolutions to end that conflict on at least six separate occasions. including one instance just a week before her ad went live.
For Rogers. the attempt to thread the needle between his past support for the trade war and his new campaign messaging has left him vulnerable. By attempting to separate his platform from the very policies he previously championed. he has created a sharp contrast that voters and critics alike are now dissecting in the final stretch of the campaign.
Mike Rogers Michigan Senate Canada tariffs Trump Ashley Hinson election 2026 trade war