Michigan Democrats see an opening with President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs to claw back a key bloc of voters they lost ground with last year: the working class.
With an open Senate seat on the line in the midterm elections, Democrats are using the “constant whiplash” of Trump’s tariff policy to try to convince blue-collar workers, including auto workers, that GOP Senate hopeful Mike Rogers and other Republicans will hurt their pocketbooks.
“You tell me how the auto workers are going to like it when they read the article in today’s paper about what these tariffs are going to do to their profit-sharing,” Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) told reporters Thursday. “The thing that the companies need that they do not have from this administration, nor the Republicans — Mike Rogers, everybody that’s rubber stamping them — is certainty.”
Hours earlier, Trump placed new tariff rates, ranging from 10% to 41%, on dozens of countries around the globe, but for weeks, the duties have been subject to fluctuation and shifting deadlines.
The tariffs are broadly attractive to union workers, with the promise of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States, but Democrats are focusing on their implementation and the possible harm to auto companies’ profitability.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel, speaking with Dingell on a call to reporters, said the state’s Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, which owns brands like Dodge and Jeep — are “hemorrhaging billions of dollars because of the chaotic trade policies that Mike Rogers is championing.”
In a statement, the Rogers campaign accused Democrats of siding with “Made in China over Made in America” by opposing the tariffs. The Rogers campaign also said Democrats have for years driven jobs out of Michigan with high taxes and regulations.
“Michigan Democrats threatened tens of thousands more auto jobs with their electric vehicle mandates,” Rogers campaign spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet said, before shifting to the effect of Trump’s signature tax law. “And now, Democrats are opposing no tax on tips, no tax on overtime for 3 million working Michigan families, and bringing business back to the U.S. If we want to build our middle class, we need to build in America.”
American automakers have complained about the administration’s latest iteration of import taxes because they say the rates are not high enough to bring more production back to the U.S. At the same time, higher duties imposed on Mexico and Canada, in particular, have made parts more expensive for American companies to source.
The tariff rate for automobiles now sits at 15% for Japan and the EU as part of new trade agreements. Meanwhile, Mexico is at 25% and Canada is at 35%. Rogers praised Trump’s announcement of a deal with Japan last month, saying that American manufacturers and farmers will have access to new markets.
Ford said it’s facing “billions” in increased costs due to the tariffs on parts and materials, with the broader global industry facing a combined $12 billion in extra tariff costs.
The criticism extends to the United Auto Workers, whose members played a large hand in Trump’s 2024 Michigan victory.
“I believe tariffs can help create a level playing field, but what’s happening is rigging the field against Michigan,” Dingell said. “We are looking at total chaos in the state right now, and our workers are paying the price.”
US AUTOMAKERS AREN’T JAZZED TRUMP LOWERED TARIFFS ON EUROPE AND JAPAN
Rogers, a former congressman and virtual shoo-in to secure the GOP nomination, has close ties to Trump and has embraced the president’s economic agenda, including on tariffs. Although Trump captured Michigan in 2024, that same support did not fully transfer down ballot to Rogers, who narrowly lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
This time around, Rogers is vying to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in a toss-up race against a slate of potential Democratic opponents, including Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Democratic state Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow, and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed.
