Republicans were already struggling to defuse simmering voter frustrations over the cost of living ahead of the midterms. Then President Donald Trump rekindled his trade wars.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s latest actions \u2014 especially his decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods<\/a>, inviting retaliatory duties from America\u2019s No. 2 trading partner \u2014 has sparked new pushback from GOP lawmakers and candidates.<\/p>\n

His moves are set to reverberate especially hard in a handful of states crucial to the party\u2019s hopes of keeping their Senate majority. That includes northern border states, such as Maine and Michigan, as well as agriculture-heavy battlegrounds like Iowa and North Carolina that have been buffeted for more than a year by Trump\u2019s embrace of hardball trade tactics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got 71 days, and right now we don\u2019t have a positive message to tell farm country,\u201d said retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis<\/a>, whose North Carolina seat is at risk of flipping into Democrats\u2019 hands in November.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s threat to impose tariffs on Canada is creating \u201ctension,\u201d Tillis added, and that \u201cthe party that owns that tension is the party that will probably suffer the consequences in November.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the president\u2019s latest bid to ease price pressures on Americans has generated unease among Republicans. While he touted his decision last week to temporarily allow the duty-free import of 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef<\/a> as a win for consumers, the announcement was met with little praise from GOP lawmakers, who instead worry the bigger political impact will be to alienate key constituencies in rural states hosting competitive House and Senate races.<\/p>\n

Rep. Tim Burchett<\/a> (R-Tenn.) said in an interview Tuesday he\u2019d spoken this week with the small farmers and ranchers who would bear the brunt of Trump\u2019s beef import holiday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it could hurt us at the polls,\u201d he said. \u201cThat’s a very strong group.\u201d<\/p>\n

The beef imports have jolted races in Iowa, where GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson<\/a>, who is running to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst<\/a>, said in a social media post<\/a> that the imports were \u201ca bad idea\u201d that would create \u201cmore uncertainty and instability for our farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Rep. Zach Nunn<\/a>, another Republican who is seeking reelection, said Friday<\/a> at the Iowa State Fair alongside Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that Trump is \u201cright\u201d that \u201cwe want to make sure that people can afford to eat\u201d but that \u201cwe don’t do it on the backs of our cattlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the hefty Canada tariffs that could create the bigger problem for the GOP. Four border states \u2014 Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire and Alaska \u2014 as well as manufacturing-heavy Ohio are on the front lines of both the midterms and Trump\u2019s North American trade war.<\/p>\n

The economy is consistently the top issue for voters of both parties. Fifty-six percent of U.S. adults said cost-of-living concerns are among the top issues facing the country in a recent Blue Light News Poll.<\/p>\n

A notable share of Trump’s own voters hold negative views about the current state of the economy \u2014 and how he is trying to improve it. A 33 percent plurality of Trump’s 2024 voters said rising prices are among the biggest failures of Trump’s second term, according to the survey conducted earlier this month by London-based Public First. Just 16 percent pointed to improving the cost of living as one of his biggest successes.<\/p>\n

Among Trump voters who said things are less affordable now than a year ago, most blamed the Iran war (52 percent), but a sizable share (42 percent) blamed Trump’s tariffs on imported goods.<\/p>\n

Vice President JD Vance defended the Canada tariffs Monday during a stop in Maine, saying Trump was taking long-overdue action to address unfair trade practices. But Sen. Susan Collins<\/a>, who did not appear at the Vance event citing a scheduling conflict, told reporters<\/a> over the weekend that she believed the Canada tariffs were a \u201cmistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe produce a lot in Maine \u2014 our blueberries, our potatoes, our lobster, our lumber \u2014 that is processed across the border,\u201d said Collins, who voted to undo prior Trump levies targeting Canada. \u201cIf it comes back with a huge tariff on it \u2026 that increases the cost of eating, building homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Republican Sen. John Sununu, who is running to recapture his New Hampshire Senate seat this fall, said in a statement to Blue Light News Tuesday that \u201cit makes no sense to start a trade war with our closest neighbor\u201d as Democratic nominee Rep. Chris Pappas<\/a> suggested Sununu<\/a> \u201cstands with Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCanada is an important and valued trading partner for New Hampshire,\u201d Sununu added. \u201cAs Senator, I\u2019d encourage both sides to continue to negotiate and keep trade flowing between our countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Alaska, a group aligned with Senate Democrats has been hammering GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan<\/a> with ads for months related to \u201craising costs\u201d and tariffs as Democrats have sought to put in play a state Trump won handily three times. Multiple political forecasters now view the Alaska Senate race as a tossup between Sullivan and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.<\/p>\n

Campaign representatives for Sullivan and for former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan, did not respond to requests for comment about the Canada tariffs.<\/p>\n

The fallout from a trade war with Canada could also impact Republicans\u2019 affordability message as they attempt to hold onto the House.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president picked an unnecessary fight with a friend,\u201d retiring Rep. Don Bacon<\/a> (R-Neb.) said in a text message Tuesday. \u201cThe trade war will hurt both Americans and Canadians and for no good reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest trade anxiety is landing amid broader economic woes that can be traced in large part to energy price spikes associated with the Trump-initiated war with Iran \u2014 a conflict that has dragged on for months longer than many GOP lawmakers privately hoped. Democrats, in turn, have spent months using those price spikes and voters\u2019 dissatisfaction with the war as ammunition to sink Republicans in key states that could hand them majorities in both the House and Senate.<\/p>\n

Republicans have taken comfort in the Democratic infighting that has marked primary season and the ascendance of hard-left nominees in many races \u2014 including in Michigan, where the GOP hopes to flip the seat being relinquished by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters<\/a>. The new Canadian tariffs, however, threaten to distract from Rogers\u2019 campaign to paint Democratic opponent, Abdul el-Sayed, as too extreme for the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmericans are paying more for everything because GOP Senate candidates have served as a rubber stamp for Trump\u2019s chaotic tariffs at the expense of their states,\u201d DSCC spokesperson Tommy Garcia said in a statement Tuesday. \u201cCome November, voters will hold them accountable for making life more expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senate Republicans decamped to their home states earlier this month hoping that they would be able to use the August recess to focus on selling last year\u2019s GOP tax cuts and a growing economy as they try to convince voters to overlook their cost-of-living concerns.<\/p>\n

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds<\/a>, who is seeking reelection in the reliably red agriculture state of South Dakota, said he thought his party is \u201cin pretty good shape\u201d to keep the majority. He added, though, that Republicans will need to \u201cwork hard\u201d and \u201cfocus on what voters back home care about, which is the price of gas, price of groceries, making sure that in our ag economy we\u2019re focused on helping to bring prices up for our commodity products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others in the GOP have put voters\u2019 affordability concerns in less rosy terms, including Sen. Jim Justice<\/a> (R-W.Va.).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been the voice that\u2019s been saying, \u2018You people are living in a cave if you don\u2019t see that folks out there \u2026 are hurting,\u2019\u201d Justice told reporters last week. \u201cAnd we need to absolutely be more in tune with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erin Doherty and Grace Yarrow contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"