Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed unleashed a blistering attack on Donald Trump’s trade policies, using profanity to drive it home. Speaking at a Detroit press conference, the Democrat framed the Canada tariff dispute as a direct assault on Michigan’s economic well-being.
The Michigan Senate candidate criticized Trump’s trade war with Canada
El-Sayed addressed reporters about the ongoing tariff battle with America’s northern neighbor. He argued that Trump’s aggressive trade posture lacks strategic purpose and hurts the very communities it claims to protect.
“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. He then made the jab: “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 a**hole.”
The candidate distinguished between thoughtful tariff policy and what he sees as reckless posturing. “There’s a smart use of tariffs. This ain’t it,” El-Sayed added. “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 toward his Republican opponent Mike Rogers. Abdul El-Sayed claimed Rogers would simply “rubber-stamp” Donald Trump’s Canada trade agenda without pushing back against policies that harm Michigan workers and consumers. The White House dismissed El-Sayed’s comments by labeling him “a complete and total extremist” in a statement to HuffPost.
Trump’s trade war with Canada has intensified in recent weeks. The president ordered a 50% tariff on Canadian goods, triggering retaliatory measures from Ottawa. Canadian leaders show no sign of backing down.
