| New reporting details how Trump’s attacks on Michigan’s economy – from his reckless tariffs and threats to stop the Gordie Howe Bridge, to his unprovoked attacks on key trading partner Canada – “illustrate the problem that Trump’s [attacks] poses for Republicans.”
THE PROBLEM? Tom Barrett, Bill Huizenga, Mike Bouchard Jr., Robert Lulgjuraj, and Amir Hassan have backed the administration’s economic attacks on Michigan at every opportunity. Now, they’ll be forced to answer for the fallout.
The New Republic: “Democratic efforts to flip the 10th congressional district illustrate the problem that Trump’s abusiveness toward Canada poses for Republicans. It straddles parts of Macomb County—home to the fabled Reagan Democrat and the seat of a lot of industry—and its economy is heavily interdependent with Canada’s. So in this region, Trump’s attacks on Canada are hard for Republicans to defend.”
KEY TO KNOW: The Detroit News previously reported that the decline in Michigan-Canada border crossings is hitting Michigan “especially hard” and having a “detrimental impact” on the regional economy, anchored in Michigan’s 10th congressional district.
DCCC Spokesperson Katie Smith:
“Every single Michigan Republican running for Congress is in lockstep with this administration’s reckless trade policy hurting Michigan’s economy and costing families, and they’ll pay the price for it this November.”
Read more:
The New Republic: Trump’s Fury at Canada Backfires in Surprise Blow to GOP’s 2026 Hopes
- Donald Trump regularly flies into fits of rage over Canada that seem pretty unbalanced given the positive view that most Americans have of our northern ally—an obsession that even recently led him to threaten to block a bridge project linking Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit. The scuttling of this cross-border transport link would damage Michigan’s economy, so the threat became a problem for the state’s Republican congressional candidates, potentially further undermining the GOP’s chances of holding the House.
- Now there’s been another absurd turn in this saga. The Detroit News has a striking new piece reporting that Trump’s aggression toward Canada is hurting the Michigan economy in another way: by slashing the flow of Canadians who cross into neighboring border states like Michigan, where they spend lots of money.
- The numbers are significant. Around 10 million fewer Canadians traveled to the United States in 2025 relative to the previous year, the story notes, adding that this is hitting Michigan and other nearby states “especially hard.” The impact on the Wolverine State is particularly acute: Canadian visits to southeast Michigan fell 30% from 2024 to 2025, said Visit Detroit CEO Claude Molinari.
- “That’s a large decline in a short amount of time,” Molinari said. “And it’s certainly having a detrimental impact on our area hotels, restaurants and attractions, which have been able to rely on consistent Canadian travel in recent years.”
- Which is taking a toll on Michigan. As an official with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce told the paper: “Canadians are very important to American businesses.”
- As it happens, there are at least three competitive races in Michigan over GOP-controlled House seats whose outcome could help determine control of the House.
- Democratic efforts to flip the 10th congressional district illustrate the problem that Trump’s abusiveness toward Canada poses for Republicans. It straddles parts of Macomb County—home to the fabled Reagan Democrat and the seat of a lot of industry—and its economy is heavily interdependent with Canada’s. So in this region, Trump’s attacks on Canada are hard for Republicans to defend.
- We’ve already seen this sort of thing become a problem for the state’s GOP candidates. When Trump recently threatened to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, Democrats pounced, and two vulnerable House GOP incumbents went suspiciously quiet about it.
- Now, Democrats say, they will highlight the broader damage…to the state—and use it against vulnerable GOP Representatives Bill Huizenga and Tom Barrett in the 4th and 10th districts as well.
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Katie Smith told me: “We will ensure voters know that Michigan Republicans fully stood by Trump’s unprovoked, reckless attacks on a major trading partner that are hurting Michigan’s economy and costing families.”
- Trump’s tariffs are deeply unpopular, not just because they hike costs but also because rising percentages view trade itself as a good thing.
- But this Michigan case presents a vivid example of Trumpian nationalism proving materially bad for ordinary people in a politically legible way.
- Southeast Michigan’s economy is deeply intertwined with that of Canada, with goods flowing both ways and people crossing the border in both directions to frequent sports and cultural events. Trump’s tariffs on Canada are already hurting Michigan automakers and their workers. With Republicans actively encouraging Trump as he deliberately antagonizes Canada with tariffs and other malicious threats, Democrats can hold themselves out as a check on this unending madness.
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