Republicans ran away from Trump's Canadian tariffs, but not far enough
asserted
Republicans → run → tariffs
Democrats say they're ready to move quickly to try to end the trade war with Canada
When wildfires were burning across Canada in July, and the smoke was blowing into the United States, Michigan's Mike Rogers was among those demanding punishment.
asserted
Rogers → say → punishment
The Republican senator, echoing U.S. President Donald Trump, said Canada should pay more, on top of the current tariffs, to cover the cost of that pollution.
asserted
Canada → echo → pollution
"Canada must be held accountable for endangering Americans, and I will work with your administration to ensure they are!," he wrote on X, in a reply to Trump.
asserted
he → hold → Trump
Rogers had, separately, enthused about the tariffs — telling Fox News they were "really positive" for the U.S. and that it was "absolutely unacceptable" for Canada to be selling cars into his border state.
asserted
Canada → enthuse → state
Fast forward three months and Rogers — struggling in race for Senate — tried to cast himself as a friend of Canada.
asserted
Rogers → struggle → Canada
While drinking a Labatt Blue and alluding to hockey, he called for an end to the tariffs in an ad posted four weeks ago.
asserted
he → drink → ad
"Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy," he said.
asserted
he → know → Michigan
A man votes in the primary election at Northwestern High School in Detroit, on Aug. 4.
asserted
man → vote → Aug.
It was one of many examples of Republicans trying to distance themselves from Trump��’s trade war and anti-Canadian rhetoric.
asserted
Republicans → try → war
Now, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, the Democrats are hoping to use Republican discomfort with the cross-border trade war to end tariffs on Canada.
uncertain
Democrats → accord → Canada
Democratic push to end trade war
“There is overwhelming support for repealing the tariffs on products from Canada,” Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, told the WSJ on Wednesday.
asserted
Wyden → end → Wednesday
Wyden and other Democrats believed they might be able to flip enough Republicans against Trump on the issue to override a veto, the Journal reported.
uncertain
Journal → believe → veto
That would likely require persuading about 30 to 35 Republican House members, and 11 to 13 Republican senators, the precise number depending on votes yet to be tallied from Tuesday's elections.
asserted
That → require → elections
The new House and Senate will be seated on January 3, just two days after punishing 50 per cent tariffs on all Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts, and steel are scheduled to take effect.
asserted
tariffs → seat → effect
Democratic Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated Rogers in Michigan, told the MS Now morning show on Thursday he was keen to work to lift the "stupid tariffs on Canada," and later told CNN that ending Trump's "vanity trade war" was a legislative priority for him in Washington.
“There is no economic reason why we are having a tariff war with our biggest trading partner.
asserted
we → defeat → partner
This has to end.”
asserted
This → have → ?
That seems to be one of the lessons American politicians will take from the 2026 midterm elections, perhaps with lasting and positive effects for Canada.
asserted
politicians → seem → Canada
From the early days of Trump’s second term, Americans have shown very little interest in picking fights with Canada.
asserted
Americans → show → Canada
Although Trump's verbal attacks on Canada were a staple at rallies throughout October, the issue again failed to catch fire within the MAGA coalition.
asserted
issue → fail → coalition
Exit polls on Tuesday, according to CNN, found that two-thirds of American voters believed tariffs had hurt both the national and their local economies.
uncertain
tariffs → accord → national
The tariffs were widely seen as having combined with the Iran war to create a double price shock.
asserted
tariffs → see → shock
Rural America has been hit especially hard by the spike in diesel, which contributed to higher costs for fertilizer.
asserted
which → hit → fertilizer
All of the eight main fertilizers used by U.S. farmers cost more than they did a year ago, according to one industry analysis.
uncertain
they → use → analysis
Trump backs down for Maine, Kansas
asserted
Trump → back → Maine
In two critical Senate races in Maine and Kansas, Republican candidates appealed directly to Trump to cancel or reconsider specific trade actions against Canada in order to avoid harming voters in their states (and therefore their campaigns).
asserted
candidates → appeal → states
In Maine, Susan Collins first asked him to drop tariffs on road salt, warning that they would dramatically increase costs for small municipalities, which might then have to raise property taxes.
uncertain
which → ask → taxes
Trump complied.
asserted
Trump → comply → ?
Later, Trump lifted tariffs on about $5.1 billion US worth of goods to help her.
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Trump → lift → her
(He replaced them with new tariffs on other goods, although for only about half the monetary value.)
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He → replace → value
Trump’s reversals weren’t enough to save Collins.
asserted
reversals → save → Collins
Her Democratic opponent Troy Jackson gave his victory speech wearing a button that said "We can’t eat road salt!"
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks at a campaign event for Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., on Oct. 28.
asserted
Cruz → give → Oct.
In Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall asked Trump not to proceed with actions against Montreal-based Bombardier, which makes jets in Wichita.
asserted
which → ask → Wichita
Again, Trump complied, but Marshall lost anyway.
asserted
Marshall → comply → ?
Several Republicans mentioned tariffs in post-mortems of the midterm rout.
asserted
Republicans → mention → rout
"Tragically, we alienated rural America,” said Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who was not up for re-election but saw his junior counterpart lose to Democrat James Talarico.
asserted
counterpart → alienate → Talarico
The state's governor also lost to a Democrat.
asserted
governor → lose → Democrat
"Tariffs have made everything too expensive, and the Iran war has dragged on too long.
asserted
war → make → ?
Cruz blamed the rout, in order, on the high cost of living, corruption, the cost of the war, sub-par candidates and the trade war with Canada.
asserted
Cruz → blame → Canada
"I will fight to end these chaotic tariffs," said senator-elect Josh Turek after his upset victory in Iowa.
asserted
Turek → fight → Iowa
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
