Maine — 2nd District

Polls — which Trump on Monday dismissed on Truth Social without evidence as attempts to “demoralize Republicans so that they don’t go out and vote” — have repeatedly shown that Americans are feeling dour about the economy, and blame Trump for it. And the president’s trade war with Canada may be a tough sell for voters in Maine, which borders two Canadian provinces and is one of the northern country’s top trade partners.

“There are real impacts from the tariffs that went into effect over the weekend,” said Patrick Woodcock , the president and CEO of the Maine Chamber of Commerce, pointing out that it will hit Maine’s cement industry, as well as industries that rely on wood and paper products.

But if the optics of a worsening trade war with Canada worried Vance , he didn’t show it. During his speech at the Compotech warehouse in Brewer, he called Canada a “state,” then said it was a “Freudian slip.”

Asked Monday about the trade tensions with Canada, Vance said the White House is “very mindful of the fact that Maine is a border state with Canada” that engages in “a lot of cross-border transaction.” But, he added, “what we’re trying to do here is just make sure that Maine actually gets a fair deal.”

Vance also offered a missive for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney . “I think that we need to send a message loud and clear to the prime minister of Canada: Stop taking advantage of the people of Maine. Stop taking advantage of America,” he said.

Control of both chambers of Congress is likely to run in part through Maine in this year’s midterm elections. Longtime Sen. Susan Collins is the only Republican senator running for reelection in a state Trump lost in 2024. And Republicans are hoping to flip Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, which is open after Democratic Rep. Jared Golden decided to forego running for reelection.

Vance’s Monday visit marked his second to the district in four months. In addition to his anti-fraud remarks, he was on hand to stump for former Gov. Paul LePage , Republicans’ nominee for the 2nd District. But neither Collins nor Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles attended Vance ’s speech, and both have been publicly critical of Trump ’s tariffs on Canada.

In Maine, forestry products are one of the key industries that will be hit by the tariffs. Scott Beal , who works for Woodland Pulp in Baileyville, said there will be “winners and losers” in the state’s forest products industry. “It’s unfortunate that it’s gotten to this point, and we’d very much like to see everybody get back to the table,” he said.

Woodcock , who leads the state’s Chamber of Commerce, cautioned that the tariffs that took effect over the weekend likely will not “immediately show economic impacts.” But his bigger concern is whether the conflict will expand, particularly if Ottawa chooses to cut off energy exports or if Canadians maintain a long-term travel boycott of the U.S.

In the heat of a trade war last year, Canadian tourism to the U.S. dropped by around 29 percent between June 2024 and June 2025, according to statistics collected by the Canadian government. Car travel to the U.S. declined by 32 percent.

“I do think there are a lot of Mainers that are really hurting from affordability pressures, energy bills,” Woodcock said. “And I do think nationally, and it does play out in Maine, that more volatility, more pressure on the consumer price index, that that is something that people are really paying attention to, especially on the energy side as we approach a Maine fall.”