Rogers Urges Wind-Down of Iran War, Breaking With Trump in Michigan Senate Race

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers said the time has come to wind down the war in Iran, staking out a position at odds with President Donald Trump as the president presses supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot.

Speaking at a news conference at a suburban Detroit restaurant, Rogers said he still believes Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, warning that such an outcome would bring $8-a-gallon gasoline. But he argued the conflict has entered a phase where the best path is de-escalation, and that other measures can still prevent Tehran from threatening its neighbors or pursuing a bomb.

Rogers tied his call to the economic strain on Michigan, pointing to September and October as the most important harvest months of the year. With diesel prices pushing past six dollars, he said, farmers face a severe burden in bringing crops in from the fields, and grocery prices are likely to feel the effects as well. Allowing the war to drag on, he argued, is not an option.

His remarks place him among a group of Republican candidates in Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin who have similarly distanced themselves from the White House. Asked about those moves, Rogers said his position stems from personal conviction rather than any coordinated strategy, adding that he does not concern himself with what other Senate candidates around the country are doing. He said the conflict has placed undue pressure on prices at home.

Michigan Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed has accused Rogers of flip-flopping on the issue.