El Sayed, Michigan Democrats run against tariffs, Canada trade war

President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada is taking center stage in Michigan, where Democrats are campaigning aggressively on their opponents’ support for the president’s tariffs.

In the weeks since trade negotiations broke down with Canada, Democrats such as Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed have tied the trade war and the higher tariffs it has created to their broader focus on voters' cost of living concerns.

“By the time you’ve paid for your tank of gas and your groceries for the week, you’re looking at your budget and saying, ‘Where did all my money go?’” El-Sayed said in an interview with USA TODAY. “And it turns out it went to pay for tariffs, too often, that you shouldn’t have to be paying.”

Michigan Democrats have been railing against the president’s trade policies for months, but the latest feud with Canada has given new urgency to the issue in a key swing state, where Democrats hope to hold onto the governorship and a Senate seat, and defeat Republicans in three competitive U.S. House races.

Opposition to the tariffs has also given Democrats a message to unify around after a bitter Aug. 4 primary contest between El-Sayed, a progressive, and his moderate opponent…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/