Mike Rogers shares his goals, vision for US Senate in midterm race

Welcome back. The midterm elections are just a few days away and we're taking a different approach to the U.S. Senate race. We are working to give you a unique chance to better understand the candidates and their perspectives. Last Friday, you heard from the Democratic nominee, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. And this week, I got a chance to talk one-on-one with Republican and former Congressman Mike Rogers while he was campaigning in Grosse Pointe. We talked about a number of issues, including allegations that he lives in Florida. I live in Michigan, was born, raised, lived here for five decades. That's just nonsense and misinformation trying to confuse people, number one. Number two, listen, when I need to stand up to the president, I have. I've gone against his Canadian tariffs. I've said the war needs to come to an end. Congressman, on that note, if there were anything else you had to break from regarding President Trump when it comes to the state of Michigan, what would it be? Well, I'll give you one quick example. He has said it would be okay to build Chinese cars in America. I disagree with that passionately. I think that would be the existential threat to our automobile industry here. So I will work with him. And if we have to do more, I'll do more. But I want him to come to the conclusion, this is not a good idea for Michigan, and I'll push back on it. If I have to pass legislation, I will. We're going to make sure that the Chinese don't set up shop and put our autoworkers here out of work. You've spent quite a bit of time A lot of time campaigning in the city of Detroit, talking directly to black voters. What has changed your perception or elevated it going into election day? I am fired up about the conversations I've had across Detroit, not only with black pastors but neighborhood leaders, elected officials, and we're talking about real solutions for the city. On housing, on affordable housing, I have a plan to kickstart some building of residential housing that's affordable for people to buy, and I have brought all, I've had conversations with all the business folks to make it happen, right, it's not just passing a bill, it's about that. Power of convening, getting people who want to solve problems. Think about Dan Gilbert's investment in the city of Detroit. Imagine if we ramped that up and we take it from the city downtown into the neighborhoods. Okay, you were challenged on the governance law on October 13th. What's your stance on that? How would you talk to those Detroit city leaders? The 1999 act. How would you respond to that? I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about. But listen, we've had great conversations about how we go forward. I mean, some of the folks who want to hold people hostage in the city of Detroit and let those neighborhoods rot like they have, those people we're probably not going to get along with. If you want progress in the city of Detroit, you want empowerment in the city of Detroit, you want your kids reading again in the city of Detroit, I'm your guy. All right, thank you. Thanks, man. Really appreciate it. Thank you. And that last part of the conversation focused on the Public Act 10 We'll go here. of 1999 which greatly impacted the Detroit School Board at a time when Rogers served in the Michigan State Senate. We will have my full interviews with both former Congressman Mike Rogers along with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed posted on Fox2Detroit.com and Fox Local.