El-Sayed says Rogers cheered the tariff war from the beginning
Abdul El-SayedDemocratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan
El-Sayed says Rogers backed the tariff war from the start and is reversing course because his poll numbers are falling, and blames Trump for the trade war.
Responding to
Rogers supported Trump's tariff war with Canada from the beginning and is changing his position now because his poll numbers are falling.
“You cheerled this tariff war from the beginning and you're flip-flopping now because your poll numbers are in free fall. Donald is the reason we're in a trade war. And he's the reason you're running. Not a serious person.”
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Mike Rogers calls for an end to the Canada tariff war; El-Sayed calls it a flip-flop
Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers released an ad on October 7, 2026, saying Canada is not the enemy and calling for an end to the tariff war with Canada. His Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, said Rogers had cheered the tariff war from the start and was changing course because of his poll numbers. Asked about the ad, President Trump said he took Rogers to mean that Canada should make a deal, and repeated his view that Canada has taken advantage of the United States for years.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Press release issued by El-Sayed's Senate campaign on the day Rogers released his ad. It quotes El-Sayed and lists earlier Rogers remarks that the campaign says show his support for the tariffs.
Reporting
About this source
Canadian Press report on Rogers's October 7 ad. It quotes the ad, El-Sayed's response and Trump's comments at the White House later that day, and describes the escalation of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods since August.
Before the quotation
El-Sayed's campaign issued the statement on the day Rogers released his ad. It opens with El-Sayed joking that Rogers must have had one too many Labatts.
After the quotation
The release lists earlier Rogers posts praising the tariffs and cites a New York Times and Siena poll that it says found nearly 70 percent of Michigan voters disapprove of the trade war with Canada.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the U.S. tariff war with Canada. El-Sayed blames Trump for the trade war and faults Rogers for having "cheerled" it, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because he questions whether Rogers's shift is genuine; it loses because he also criticizes the tariff war itself.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Mike Rogers, Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full caseEl-Sayed calls Trump's Canada tariffs chaotic at the Michigan Senate debate
“This is, like everything, ham-fisted, chaotic, self-serving, that Donald Trump does.”Read statement
Trump says Rogers means Canada should make a deal
“Canada has been ripping off our country for many, many years.”Read statement
Rogers says Canada is not the enemy and the tariff war should end now
“Prices are too high and Canada is not our enemy. We need to end the tariff war — now.”Read statement
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- El-Sayed says Rogers cheered the tariff war from the beginning
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The Dispute Index. "El-Sayed says Rogers cheered the tariff war from the beginning". First published: 2026-10-17. Last updated: 2026-10-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/5996-el-sayed-says-rogers-backed-the-tariff-war