Trump gives kudos to James, Rogers at plant visit ahead of primary

President Donald Trump gave the stage on Monday to Michigan Republicans looking at hard fought races in the next week and in November.

Trump’s visit to Milford featured a mix of remarks on economic achievements of the administration trickling down to the state and a political rally for major Republican players in the upcoming primary election, including U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who is running unopposed in his primary, and U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, who is running for governor. He also invited on stage Michael Bouchard, who is running for the 10^th U.S. House District, Amir Hassan, running for the 8^th U.S. House District, and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte.

James has cleared most of the Republican gubernatorial field in the last few weeks after Trump’s endorsement but still faces Perry Johnson on the ballot next week who has been far outspending everyone with $30 million in this race.

Trump brought James onstage in the middle of the remarks, saying “he has to win.”

James, in response, asserted that Trump had won the state three times. While Trump won Michigan narrowly in 2016 and again in 2024, he did not win the state in 2020 and there is no evidence to support claims the election was stolen.

James championed Trump’s designation of the Selfridge Air National Guard base for the fighter jet mission meant to begin by the end of 2028 in his first 100 days in office. He also thanked Trump for signing his legislation to protect against electric vehicle manufacturing mandates.

He also vowed again that as governor he would invest in the money Trump provided for in the federal budget bill in the Education Freedom Tax Credit that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has not opted-in to, at least yet. 

Rogers said he wanted Trump to imagine how it would be to have a senator who cares about manufacturing as much as he does. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, who is running in the competitive Democratic primary for the seat against Abdul El-Sayed, has tried to position herself as the manufacturing candidate.

“That’s a change we absolutely need, and when I get back there, Mr. President, I promise you this: I will work with you to protect our families, protect our freedoms, protect our factories, protect our finances,” Rogers said.

Trump called Rogers “one of the best candidates we have anywhere.”

The Michigan Democratic Party hosted a press conference earlier in the day to attack Trump, saying he has betrayed Michiganders while Rogers and James “have stood by him every step of the way.”

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Rogers has supported his cost-raising policies while pledging to be a loyal vote in the Senate and James has supported “disastrous policies, including voting in support of the Iran War, voting to protect Trump’s cost-raising tariffs, and voting to cut health care for Michiganders.”

To questions of if the seeming unification of the party establishment around James after Trump’s endorsement worries them with their seeming advantage in November, Hertel said while establishment Republicans are endorsing, there is still chaos out in the grassroots of the party.

“I’m not sure that matters to anybody outside of the (Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt)or Tom Leonard households in terms of who people are going to vote for, but again, I think that what’s important to remember here is that Republicans are running on primaries just to please one person. They’re talking about how much they agree with a man who has got an approval rating at 30% in Michigan,” Hertel said.