John James Can’t Name a Single Disagreement With Trump in Gubernatorial Race

John James, Michigan’s Republican hopeful for governor, has made it crystal clear: he supports Donald Trump 2000 percent. But when pressed this week on “if there was anything he did not agree with Trump on,” James couldn’t name a single policy or stance where he breaks from the former president. Instead, he deflected by promising to ask Trump for more funding for Great Lakes projects, according to Gongwer News Service.

This non-answer is not just a political dodge — it’s a glaring sign of how the GOP primary has devolved into a cringe-worthy spectacle of candidates scrambling to out-Trump each other. James’s unwavering loyalty comes despite Trump’s disastrous policies that have spiked costs and destabilized Michigan’s economy.

James has consistently voted in lockstep with Trump’s agenda. He supported Trump’s tariffs that raised prices for consumers and businesses alike. He backed Trump’s tax law that slashed Medicaid funding and failed to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, hurting working families. He even voted against a bipartisan bill that would have extended those ACA tax credits — a move that contradicts the interests of many Michiganders.

Last month, James was spotted partying at Mar-a-Lago, the infamous hotspot for Trump’s pay-to-play corruption and self-enrichment schemes. His DeVos-funded PAC has been running ads featuring a montage of Trump clips, signaling just how much James’s campaign leans on Trump’s brand. Meanwhile, rival candidate Perry Johnson is flooding the airwaves with ads showing him alongside Trump, turning the primary into a contest of who can curry favor with the former president the hardest.

“John James will give non-answers on where he disagrees with Donald Trump because the Republican primary for governor is all about pleasing Trump — even when he’s hurting Michigan,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “No matter who wins this MAGA primary, they’ve all lined up behind Donald Trump’s deeply unpopular and harmful agenda and are jumping over themselves to show who supports Trump the most.”

This race is a stark reminder that the Republican Party in Michigan is not focused on solutions for the state’s real problems. Instead, it’s a circus of Trump worship, with candidates like James showing they are willing to ignore the damage caused by Trump’s policies just to secure his blessing.

For Michigan voters concerned about accountability and economic recovery, this GOP primary signals more of the same: candidates too weak to stand up to Trump’s destructive agenda and too eager to embrace it fully. The stakes are high, and the consequences could be devastating if this MAGA loyalty contest decides Michigan’s future.