Pro-Trump Mayor Sounds Alarm as Tariff Threats Put Local Economy at Risk

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Alexis N. Crockett
February 24, 2025
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8 minutes read

(Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

A Republican mayor and longtime supporter of Donald Trump is expressing deep concerns over the potential economic fallout of Trump’s proposed tariffs, warning they could cripple his auto-industry-driven community.

Michael Taylor, mayor of Sterling Heights since 2015, told The Washington Post that the threat of tariffs on Canada and Mexico has left his city scrambling for answers. Sterling Heights, located just north of Detroit, is home to thousands of auto manufacturing jobs that rely on cross-border trade.

According to Taylor, any new tariffs imposed by Trump could trigger an economic crisis in the region. “We’re still scrambling to figure out what it all means,” Taylor admitted. “If those tariffs go into effect as promised, it would be devastating,” he added, calling it “the single biggest threat to our local economy.”

According to The Washington Post, Michigan’s economy is heavily dependent on trade with Canada and Mexico. A disruption in that trade flow could lead to billions of dollars in losses and a significant decline in auto industry jobs.

“If Trump’s tariff threats materialize, this region of the country dominated by the domestic auto industry stands to take as big a hit as anywhere,” the report states. Matt Ross, a finance professor at Western Michigan University, echoed these concerns, warning that Michigan could face severe economic hardship if a trade war escalates.

President-Trump — (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“It’s really hard to know how this will move through the economy,” Ross explained. “For a state that imports a lot to have a potential trade war on the horizon with its two closest partners … residents of Michigan should actually be perhaps a little bit terrified.”

Despite his concerns, Mayor Taylor acknowledged that Trump’s immigration policies resonate with many voters in his community. “I can understand that the southern border and immigration policy is a major part of Trump’s platform, and it’s something that I think a lot of Sterling Heights voters and citizens elected him to try to resolve in one way or the other,” he said.

However, he warned that the economic toll of these policies could be devastating. “At the cost that it will have for our local economy, I think it would just be staggering.” As Michigan prepares for Trump’s next moves on trade, local leaders and industry experts are bracing for potential job losses and an economic downturn that could reshape the region’s future.