Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting

Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting 1 of 6 | The head of a Detroit automotive industry association said President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs on Canadian products could bring added uncertainty to carmakers. (AP Video by Mike Householder) 2 of 6 | President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is considering more tariffs on Canada over the wildfire smoke drifting into the United States, accusing Canada of mismanaging its forests. The threat comes a day after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods. 3 of 6 | Canada celebrated the completion of a new bridge to the U.S. over the Detroit-river" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="172233" data-entity-type="location">Detroit River, a multibillion-dollar project that will serve as a critical path for trade, jobs and tourism between the countries. (AP video: Mike Householder) 4 of 6 | President Donald Trump tosses a “Trump 2028" hat at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) 5 of 6 | President Donald Trump speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) 6 of 6 | Exits from Interstate 75 are displayed for the Gordie Howe International Bridge and Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 1 of 6 The head of a Detroit automotive industry association said President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs on Canadian products could bring added uncertainty to carmakers. (AP Video by Mike Householder) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 6 President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is considering more tariffs on Canada over the wildfire smoke drifting into the United States, accusing Canada of mismanaging its forests. The threat comes a day after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 6 Canada celebrated the completion of a new bridge to the U.S. over the Detroit-river" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="172233" data-entity-type="location">Detroit River, a multibillion-dollar project that will serve as a critical path for trade, jobs and tourism between the countries. (AP video: Mike Householder) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 6 | President Donald Trump tosses a “Trump 2028" hat at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) 4 of 6 President Donald Trump tosses a “Trump 2028" hat at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 6 | President Donald Trump speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) 5 of 6 President Donald Trump speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 6 of 6 | Exits from Interstate 75 are displayed for the Gordie Howe International Bridge and Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) 6 of 6 Exits from Interstate 75 are displayed for the Gordie Howe International Bridge and Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] MILFORD, Mich. (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to tout his handling of the economy during a visit to suburban Detroit on Monday, defending sweeping tariffs in a swing state where their effects have hurt many businesses as midterm election season heats up. Trump is visiting a General Motors facility in Milford, home to tracks and proving grounds for new models and vehicles. Early voting is underway for Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary, which features fierce nomination fights in both major political parties. Republican Mike Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits Trump-backed Rep. John James against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024. Johnson is now trying to style himself in the president’s mold — despite missing out on his endorsement. He’s even holding a “Trump Tailgate” outside the president’s GM event. Meanwhile, the Democratic Senate primary between Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed has drawn national attention for the right to face Rogers, who was narrowly defeated by Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin in 2024. Trump’s new Canada tariffs could hurt Michigan Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has also seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts. A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. But Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars. 1 MIN READ 1 MIN READ 1 MIN READ The president is visiting Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit’s northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later.The White House says Trump will talk up having generated manufacturing jobs and foreign investment in the U.S. while making the case that his policies and leadership have boosted the auto industry. “The President pledged to put Michigan workers back to work, and he’s doing it,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement. Michigan’s economy relies heavily on Canada, however, meaning the new tariffs — coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide. Those come at a time when voters across the country were already increasingly dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy. Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party who tried unsuccessfully to distance it from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in 2021, said that more than coinciding with his new round of tariffs, Trump’s visit is a function of Michigan’s relatively late primary and is meant to ensure that James secures the nomination. But Roe also predicted that it was a risk for the president to tie himself too closely to top Republicans ahead of the general election, calling it “kryptonite to November voters.” Trump, who won the White House on a promise to lower the cost of living, also has seen his approval ratings sag, meaning kitchen table issues could be a liability for Republicans trying to hold control of Congress after Election Day on Nov. 3. “We’re happy to have the president here, campaigning with Republicans. We think it highlights the fact that the only thing they care about is Donald Trump and refuse to stand up to him,” said Curtis Hertel, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. “It’s good for us every time the president is here because he’s incredibly unpopular.” The US and Canada have squabbled over a new border bridge The Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, but his administration has tried to find ways around that, including by arguing that he can impose them on Canada because that country is discriminating against American exports of products including automobiles. But Trump’s latest round of tariffs came after he voiced frustration with Canada for having retaliated and imposed its own levies on U.S. imports in response to Trump’s initial tariffs last year. Trump launched the first round after alleging Canada should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling. It is Trump’s third trip to Michigan in his second term. In January, he visited a Ford plant in Dearborn and addressed the Detroit Economic Club, offering a defense of tariffs even as auto industry leaders blamed them for increasing the cost of doing business. The outcry is part of the reason Trump extended rebates to domestic car companies on some tariffs on imported auto parts.The president marked his second term’s first 100 days with a rally in Warren, where he mostly mentioned grievances left over from the 2024 campaign, even scoffing at what Biden might look like in a bathing suit. His latest visit coincides with tensions between his administration and Canada that have marred the opening of a new bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Canada on Friday held its own event hailing the opening of the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge instead of a planned celebration with officials in the U.S. after Trump announced the new Canadian tariffs. An earlier, joint ceremony had been set for June but was scrapped after Trump suggested the U.S. wanted a “better” deal on the bridge it co-owns with Canada. That eventually led to an agreement on splitting tolls that was supposed to allow for the rescheduled joint U.S.-Canada celebration — until the new tariffs derailed that, too. Weissert covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington.