Happy Friday! President Trump said today that he personally directed the Department of Justice to sue to block the election results of the Senate race in Alaska if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. "I'm the one that said do it," the president told reporters in Florida. The lawsuit, which is based on concerns about the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot, "marks an extraordinary intervention by the federal government in a state election," says Politico's Ben Johansen.
Here's what we're watching on the fiscal front as we wait for the first pitch of the World Series.
Trump Cancels Some Canada Tariffs to Boost Collins in Maine
President Trump on Friday exempted some specific Canadian products from his 50% tariffs in a bid to help Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and other Republican lawmakers facing tough election battles, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Collins, who is running neck and neck with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, said on X that she has requested tariff relief from the Trump administration on "products from Canada that are either unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense." The products are used in the agricultural sector and include paper and plastic packaging materials, refrigeration equipment and farm machinery.
"I am pleased to have secured additional tariff exemptions [for] products crucial to Maine's agricultural industries, including blueberry, potato, apple, and seaweed producers," Collins said.
Collins added that she will "continue working directly with Administration officials to seek additional relief from tariffs and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada, our neighbor, ally, and largest trading partner."
Collins has highlighted previous tariff exemptions she says she secured from Trump, who has used tariffs to punish Canada and other trading partners, though at the expense of American businesses and consumers, especially in places like Maine that are tightly integrated with the Canadian economy.
Jackson, her opponent, said Friday that Collins still hasn't done enough. "Trump's trade wars have made life harder and more expensive for Mainers," Jackson said on X. "Susan Collins enabled this chaos, voted to confirm the people behind it, and now wants credit for bringing a cup of water to put out the fire."
The White House said it will add new categories to the list of Canadian products being hit with 50% tariffs, including "certain valves, carpets, waste products, and others." Trump "is taking action in response to Canada's continued discrimination against and additional retaliation targeting U.S. commerce, with the goal of protecting American farmers, manufacturers, and workers," a White House spokesperson said.
Chart of the Day: No Love for Tariffs
President Trump has sung the praises of tariffs, treating them as a cure-all for budget deficits, declining domestic manufacturing and ungrateful allies. But he has been unable to convince the American public to see them the same way, and instead has made tariff "one of the most hated words in politics," as Greg Ip of The Wall Street Journal put it Friday.
As the chart below illustrates, Americans used to approve or disapprove of tariffs in roughly equal measure. In September 2024, 36% of respondents in a Fox News poll said they approve of tariffs, while 39% said they disapprove. But since Trump returned to office, net disapproval has soared.
Trump "slapped levies on China, Canada and Mexico, and then, in April 2025, on almost everyone," Ip wrote. "Opinion turned negative, and has become more so this year. Most striking is the shift among the workers targeted to benefit from tariff protection. A poll by Echelon Insights and Economic Innovation Group found those identifying as blue collar went from net 3% approval in August 2025, to net 22% disapproval last month."
The problem is simple: tariffs make life more expensive for consumers - and that has made life much harder for Republicans looking to remain in office this year. While most Republicans have tried to avoid the issue, a few have jumped ship and are calling for an end to Trump's tariff-based trade wars. In one ad airing in Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers sits in a bar holding a bottle of beer made by Canada-based Labatt and says, "We need to end this tariff war, now." Rogers then adds, "Here in Michigan, we know that Canada is not our enemy."
Fiscal News Roundup
- Trump to Remove Some Tariffs on Canada in Bid to Help Susan Collins – Wall Street Journal
- Justice Department Sues to Block Election Certification in Alaska if Republicans Lose Senate Race – Politico
- Trump Says He Ordered the Justice Department's Lawsuit Over Alaska's US Senate Race – Associated Press
- US Consumer Sentiment Slips to Five-Month Low on Inflation – Bloomberg
- Poll: Trump Is Mobilizing More Democrats Against Him Than Republicans for Him – Politico
- Khanna Says Zuckerberg Deal Shows Ultra-Rich Will Pay Wealth Tax – Bloomberg
- Trump's Border Chief Defends Wall Plans in Texas' Big Bend Despite a Court Setback – Associated Press
- GOP Congressman in California Swing-District Race Defends Vote for Medicaid Cuts – KFF Health News
Views and Analysis
- Here's What Democrats Plan to Do With Their Power if They Win Back Congress – Annie Karni, New York Times
- America by the Numbers: How Voters Feel About the Economy, Inflation, AI and Trump – Steve Liesman, CNBC
- Trump Consistently Touts the Economy. The Internet Isn't Buying It – Jack Gillum and Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky, Wall Street Journal
- Trump to Use the Defense Production Act to Boost US Gas and Diesel Production. Could It Help? – Mary Cunningham, CBS News
- How Tariffs Became the Most Hated Word in Politics – Greg Ip, Wall Street Journal
- There's Nothing Special About Factory Jobs – Scott Lincicome, Bloomberg
- There Are Solutions to This Crazy Economy. Voters Will Hate Them – Natasha Sarin and Catherine Rampell, New York Times
- Roger Marshall Backs a Giant Tax Increase – Wall Street Journal Editorial Board
- The Factory Outside Phoenix That Could Save American Manufacturing – Dan Wang, New York Times