Progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has characterized President Donald Trump's trade dispute with Canada as a "disastrous" and "vanity war" that inflicts damage on Michigan.
"Over the last couple of weeks, Michiganders have been struck by yet another disastrous Trump policy: the expansion of a trade war with Canada," El-Sayed said Monday at a press conference in Detroit. "We all know Canadians. Canadians are, like, the only people in the world who are going to preemptively apologize for something they didn’t even do. So if you’re starting a trade war with Canada, it’s because you’re the asshole."
El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee in Michigan, asserted that while tariffs can be used strategically, Trump's current approach is misguided. "There’s a smart use of tariffs. This ain’t it," he stated. "This is a vanity war, and I want to be clear: This vanity war is not a war with Canada. It’s a war on Michigan, because we have to pay the price, and we pay it every single day for goods that should not cost as much as they do."
He also directed criticism towards his Republican opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers, suggesting Rogers would "rubber-stamp" Trump's trade policies. Rogers, in response on Fox News' “Fox & Friends,” contrasted himself with El-Sayed, stating, "You can send somebody back who gets up every day and tries to gouge the president’s eyes out, or you can send somebody back who’s going to walk in and say, ‘Hey, can we work on this part of the trade deal?’"
The White House, through spokesperson Davis R. Ingle, dismissed El-Sayed's remarks, labeling him "a complete and total extremist" and adding, "Of course he thinks Canadians are superior to his fellow Americans."
The ongoing trade conflict escalated after Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian goods, prompting Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs against the United States. Trump has expressed strong opposition to Canadian imports, stating on Truth Social, "I don’t want Canadian cars, I don’t want Canadian parts, I don’t want Canadian anything."
Earlier, Trump had publicly criticized Ontario Premier Doug Ford, referring to him on Truth Social as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s "flunky" and questioning his intelligence. Ford, in turn, had a heated exchange with reporters before moderating his tone, stating, "I think we got heated. But, no, you got to eventually stand up to someone that just continuously attacks our country and insults our country. We believe in Canadian sovereignty. And I know Americans believe in having a sovereign Canada as well."
Prime Minister Carney has also voiced concerns about Trump's negotiating stance. "An attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the U.S., that Canadian industry is going to be disadvantaged relative to American industry – that’s not something we’re going to accept," Carney said. "There is a mutually beneficial deal possible here, but it has to be one that respects Canada’s sovereignty and independence, that uses our complementary strengths to build something better, not tear apart for short-term gain."