Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is demanding a rapid conclusion to the war in Iran, citing record fuel prices that are squeezing Michigan families and businesses.
Rogers made the remarks in a campaign ad released on the social platform X, filmed inside a Michigan grocery store to highlight the cost-of-living pressures tied to the conflict.
“The war with Iran needs to end and end quickly,” Rogers said in the ad, warning that prolonged fighting would continue driving up prices for everyday consumers.
Rogers also called for suspending state and federal gasoline taxes, which he said amount to a combined 70 cents per gallon, to provide immediate financial relief to drivers.
He went further by calling for a temporary embargo on American diesel exports, arguing that diesel prices are cascading through the entire food supply chain from farms to store shelves.
“Diesel fuels the trucks that bring groceries to the store. It fuels the tractors that grow our food. And when diesel costs more, it costs more to grow it, ship it, stock it, and ultimately buy it,” Rogers said.
Diesel has hit a record high of $6.51 per gallon, adding significant pressure on industries that depend heavily on trucking and agricultural machinery.
Iowa Republican Ashley Hinson also struck a more dovish tone this week, despite having voted against six House measures aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s authority to continue the war.
Rogers faces Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a competitive Michigan Senate race, and El-Sayed was quick to frame his opponent’s pivot as politically motivated rather than principled.
“Mike Rogers is only flip-flopping now because gas hit $5 a gallon and diesel prices hit record highs,” El-Sayed said in a statement, seeking to undercut Rogers’ credibility on the issue.
Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council, pressed Hinson publicly on the apparent contradiction between her rhetoric and her voting record on war powers resolutions.
“It’s good you’re calling for the Iran War to end, though you’ve also voted against six war powers resolutions directing an end to the war, including just six days ago,” Costello wrote to Hinson.
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut questioned whether voters would accept the sudden repositioning from Republicans who had previously supported Trump’s handling of the conflict without resistance.
“How dumb does she think voters are? If Hinson wins, then Republicans control the Senate. And they’ve pledged to Trump to kill any legislative effort to end the war as long as they keep power,” Murphy said.
