President Donald Trump’s decision to place 25% tariffs on the auto industry has some Democrats in the upper Midwest walking a tight line between opposing the administration and welcoming its economic measures that could aid the region’s once-prosperous auto industry.

The Democratic Party has been bleeding working-class support, and Trump further swayed the voting bloc toward his base in the 2024 election. Democratic lawmakers who represent areas that once housed large working-class employment in the auto industry want to convey their opposition to Trump’s agenda, but they are split on his tariff plans.

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Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) said in a statement that the tariff plan “appears to be a step toward on-shoring supply chains and bringing manufacturing back to our country,” and that she “will work with anyone to support these goals.” The high-ranking Democrat added a caveat to her support, however.

“We need to remember we must allow the auto companies and suppliers the time they need to adjust – production changes can’t take place overnight,” Dingell said. “Our domestic auto industry relies on a closely integrated North American supply chain, which is why it’s important this includes exceptions for USMCA-compliant imports. However, it is time to renegotiate” the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

“Stronger protection for American-made cars and trucks is long overdue,” Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) said in a statement. “I welcome that, but we need to fully understand the details.”

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), a sharp Trump critic, told Politico that she views tariffs as “a tool, just like fire.”

“You can barbecue with it, or you can burn your house down, depending on how you use it,” she said.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) declined to take a stance on the proposed tariffs, instead calling for broader measures to revitalize American manufacturing.

“We must do more to address the U.S. manufacturing and technology job washout in the automotive and transportation industries,” Kaptur said in a statement. “This will require a lot more than a 25% tariff on automotive imports. We must reinvest in American manufacturing and the working-class communities across our country that have been hollowed out due to broken trade deals and the burden of outsourcing.”

Some Rust Belt Democrats have stood firm in their opposition to Trump’s use of tariffs. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) said in a statement that he is supportive of “efforts to strengthen the manufacturing industry and the jobs they create” but that tariffs are “not the way to accomplish that.”

Meanwhile, leaders of the United Auto Workers union, which tends to support Democratic politicians and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 general election, voiced their support for the auto tariffs.

“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. “Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW 25% TARIFFS ON AUTO IMPORTS

“The UAW has been clear: we will work with any politician, regardless of party, who is willing to reverse decades of working-class people going backwards in the most profitable times in our nation’s history,” Fain added. “These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country.”

The auto tariffs will go into effect Wednesday, and Trump said the federal government would start collecting fees Thursday.