Mike Rogers says Donald Trump’s Gordie Howe bridge threat is ‘the right thing to do’

STERLING HEIGHTS — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers was generally unfazed by President Donald Trump’s threat to prevent the opening of the newly-constructed Gordie Howe International Bridge, saying Tuesday morning that Trump needs leverage to enact better trade deals with Canada, and China by proxy.

Rogers was in Sterling Heights on Tuesday to unveil a new housing policy aimed at fixing the regulatory scheme that holds some back from purchasing a new home, and geared toward making the financing for a new home more accessible.

Trump’s threat issued Monday evening — part of the president’s simmering trade dispute with Canada — dominated questions at the policy rollout event.

Trump threatens to block opening of Gordie Howe bridge, drawing backlash from Michigan Democrats

When asked about materials and the nation’s lumber supply imports from Canada, Rogers was questioned about his level of concern over Trump’s posturing potentially hurting his housing plans.

Rogers said he would like to see the bridge opened on time, but added that it wasn’t open today, and that commerce is still flowing between the two North American nations. 

“That commerce that you’re talking about is still happening every day,” Rogers said. “What the president has done is say, ‘I need some leverage.’ Canada just took Chinese-made cars and dropped them down from 100% tariffs to a 6% tariff. I would like the president to have some leverage to stop thousands and thousands and thousands of Chinese-made cars pouring over the bridge. Do you know who that hurts? It hurts Michigan autoworkers.”

In reaction, Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Joey Hannum said Rogers support to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge from opening, “would wreak havoc on Michigan’s economy, leading to higher costs for families, fewer jobs for workers, and greater uncertainty for the state’s auto industry. This is a galling betrayal of Michiganders, and shows that Rogers has no interest in fighting for anyone but himself.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham), who is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate to potentially run against Rogers in November, said Rogers’ comments were further indication that “his top priority is rubber-stamping Donald Trump’s agenda, rather than doing what’s best for Michigan.”

“Trump’s reckless tariffs have already caused chaos and driven up costs for Michigan families. Now, he’s threatening to block one of our state’s most important infrastructure projects, putting good-paying Michigan jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth at risk. Enough is enough, Donald Trump and Mike Rogers are playing political games at Michigan’s expense. Michigan workers deserve a Senator who will stand up to this chaos,” Stevens said in a press release.

The bridge will create a new connection between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, and has been under construction since 2018. It was built to ease congestion on existing international links, including the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge, while also strengthening trade flows between the two nations. It was set to open as early as this year, though no firm date had been announced. 

Trump’s threat drew an immediate rebuke from Democratic lawmakers in Michigan.

Rogers said posturing from Democrats over Trump’s messaging was overblown because trade is still active between the two nations.

Although Trump has struggled to net great deals for the U.S. through the threats, and in some cases the enactment of crippling tariffs, Rogers said he believes the president is trying to get the best trade deals possible for American workers.

Trump trade war with Canada could usher Chinese cars into the U.S.

“I don’t know why we would stand in the way of that so we can get more Chinese cars driving across that bridge,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me. I give him all the leash he needs. I think we’re going to get a good deal at the end of the day, and American workers are going to have the benefit.” 

Rogers was asked if he plans to speak to the president should he actually prevent the bridge from opening, and what would he say to him if the crossing’s shuttering quickly spirals the economy.

The presumptive GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate first turned to history, saying that Michigan has lost manufacturing jobs en masse since 2018, which hurt Michigan’s manufacturing strength. Meanwhile, China has been increasing its manufacturing capacity. 

Of note, that was two years into Trump’s first term. 

Rogers said China’s resurgence had hurt Michigan’s middle class families, and he doubled down on his belief that the bridge won’t be shuttered before it’s even open on the American side.

“The president has said, ‘give me a minute, I’ll get a better deal for autoworkers in America, and here in Michigan,” Rogers said. “I’m not even sure what we’re arguing about. … This is the problem of why we’re in this shape in Michigan in the first place. Leaders over the last 32 years with two Democrats in the Senate, and the Democrats in control for two years in Lansing, we’ve lost manufacturing jobs, our education went from top tier, we’re about 44th, our ability to build things here in Michigan and America has gone down. I think this is probably the right thing to do.”