The U.S. prez has grounded a potential Canadian planemaker ban before it could take off.
Driving the news: In a campaign rally speech for Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall ahead of upcoming midterm elections, Donald Trump walked back a threat he made on Truth Social last month to ban the sale of Bombardier jets to the U.S. While he didn’t mention Bombardier by name, it was clear he was referring to the company, which houses its U.S. HQ in Kansas.
“I always viewed them as a Canadian company, you know what I’m talking about," Trump said. “But now I find out they have a presence here, and we’re not hurting them if they’re in Kansas. So we’ll take care of those people, alright? And the jobs.”
Why it matters: Trump’s reversal here is indicative of how the White House’s trade war with Canada has become a decisive factor in the midterms — particularly for states with strong business and cultural ties to Canada, such as Maine, New Hampshire, and Michigan.
In a tightly contested Michigan Senate race, Republican candidate Mike Rogers rebuked his support for Trump’s tariffs (in a campaign ad where he held a Labatt).
Discontent over Canadian tariffs alone isn’t going to be enough to swing any election, but it’s one part of a broader suite of grievances that could potentially flip the Senate.
By the numbers: As is, the tariffs have (unsurprisingly) eaten into economic growth. A new forecast from the parliamentary budget officer trimmed projected GDP growth for this year and next even further from its last estimates to 0.9% and 1.5% growth, respectively.—QH
