周二，在密歇根州州长竞选辩论中，共和党众议员约翰·詹姆斯试图与唐纳德·特朗普总统保持距离。在这场持续一小时的辩论中，民主党候选人、现任密歇根州务卿乔斯林·本森多次试图将詹姆斯与特朗普挂钩，称这位众议员未能在总统面前坚持自己的立场，将来担任州长后也不会这么做。詹姆斯在共和党初选期间得到了特朗普的支持，但他指出在伊朗战争及关税政策等问题上自己与总统存在分歧。
Republican Rep. John James on Tuesday sought to put some daylight between himself and President Donald Trump as he debated his opponent in the Michigan governor’s race. Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, repeatedly attempted to tie James to Trump during the hourlong showdown, saying the congressman had failed to stand up to the president and wouldn’t do so as governor, either. James, who was boosted by Trump’s endorsement in his GOP primary campaign, pointed to the Iran War and tariff policy as issues where he has disagreements with the president.
“我曾多次顶撞总统。我始终认为可以赞同总统的观点，但无需对其盲目崇拜；可以持有不同意见，但无需攻击他。无论何时，我都会把密歇根州的利益放在首位，”詹姆斯说道。詹姆斯表示，他认为伊朗冲突必须“尽快结束，越快越好”，这一表态与他上月发表的言论如出一辙。尽管詹姆斯曾在众议院投票反对多项旨在终止伊朗战争的决议，但他仍表示希望“运用一切现有的制衡手段来迅速结束这场战争”。
“I’ve stood up to the president many times. I’ve said that I can agree with the president without worshiping him. I can disagree without attacking him, and I always put Michigan first,” James said. James said he believed the conflict in Iran needed to end “quickly, as in yesterday,” echoing comments he made last month. James, who has voted against several resolutions in the House that attempt to end the Iran war, also said that he wants to “use whatever checks and balance power that we have to bring this war to a swift conclusion.”
此次辩论正值中期选举临近之际，民调显示全美选民对特朗普处理伊朗战争及应对生活成本上涨的方式日益不满。本森抨击詹姆斯反对那些旨在限制总统发动战争权力的决议，还将高油价归咎于这场冲突。“对于那些关于战争权力的决议，我的内心十分纠结，”詹姆斯解释道，“我曾是一名战斗老兵，亲历过战争；而她没有。我深知战争意味着什么，因此投票支持保护前线士兵并为其提供所需资源。”
His comments in his first debate with Benson in the key battleground state come as polls show voters nationally continuing to sour on Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the cost of living as the midterm elections draw closer. Benson attacked James for voting against the Iran war powers resolutions, while blaming high gas prices on the conflict. “I struggle with that vote,” James said of the war powers resolutions votes.
本森则回应称自己的丈夫也曾在陆军服役。“众议员先生，军人的家属同样在为国家服务，”她说道。
“I’m a combat veteran. I have been to war. She has not. I understand what war means, and so I voted to protect the troops and to fund them while they were in harm’s way.”Benson pointed out that her husband served in the Army.
本森试图将詹姆斯与特朗普的关税政策联系起来，称这些关税为“约翰·詹姆斯税”。而詹姆斯则表示，他曾反对特朗普政府对加拿大实施的关税措施。他说道：“我专门向政府提出过意见，还与贸易事务大使进行过沟通，强调我们必须重新回到谈判桌前，别再像小孩子一样行事，而应达成一项互惠互利且公平的协议，这样才能把就业机会带回来，保护好我们的产业。”
“Military spouses serve also, congressman,” she said. Benson sought to link James to Trump’s tariff agenda, saying she dubs them the “John James tax,” while James said he had pushed back on the Trump administration’s tariffs against Canada. “I’ve actually called out the administration specifically, talking with the trade ambassador and saying that we must get back to the table, stop acting like children, and negotiate a reciprocal, fair, and mutually beneficial arrangement to make sure that we can bring our jobs back and protect our industry,” James said.
今年7月，詹姆斯曾承诺要“支持执法工作、废除‘庇护城市’政策”，还要“与联邦移民执法机构合作，驱逐那些有犯罪记录的非法移民”。不过周二，他的立场似乎有所软化，称密歇根州并不需要移民及海关执法局（ICE）的介入。詹姆斯说道：“我们会与联邦执法部门以及当地社区通力合作，重点打击暴力犯罪者，切实执行法律。坦率地说，我认为密歇根州并不需要ICE的介入，因为我们自己就能确保法律得到执行。”
James, who in July promised to “back law enforcement, end sanctuary city policies,” and “cooperate with federal immigration authorities to remove criminal illegal immigrants,” on Tuesday seemed to soften that stance, saying that he does not see a need for ICE presence in Michigan. “We’re going to be cooperating with federal law enforcement as well as our communities. We’re going to make sure that we’re prioritizing violent offenders, and we’re going to make sure that we enforce the law,” James said. “Frankly, I don’t believe we’re going to need ICE presence in the state of Michigan because we are going to be enforcing the law.”
詹姆斯还试图将本森的过往政绩与任期即将届满的民主党州长格雷琴·惠特默作对比。当地电视台WOOD-TV的主持人里克·阿尔宾要求本森举出一个惠特默忽视密歇根民众诉求的决策实例，但本森并未提及具体政策，只是表示：“我认为我们应当在改善卫生与公共服务部门的工作方面多听取民众意见。”
James attempted to tie Benson’s record to that of term-limited Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Asked by moderator Rick Albin from the local TV station WOOD-TV to point to a decision where Whitmer did not listen to Michiganders, Benson did not cite a specific policy, but said “where I think we need to listen to the people and is a way to improve our Department of Health and Human Services.”
此外，随着公众对数据中心的反对声日益高涨，两位候选人也在这一问题上针锋相对，互相指责对方从中牟利。本森指责詹姆斯曾投票支持有利于数据中心发展的政策，而自己却持有相关股票；詹姆斯则指责本森的家人从某数据中心的建设中获利。
The candidates also clashed on data centers amid a growing public backlash to them, with both accusing the other of profiting from them. Benson accused James of voting for policies friendly to data centers while holding stocks in them, and James accused Benson’s family of profiting from one center’s construction.
本森否认其家族从中获利，而詹姆斯表示，他持有的任何数据中心相关股票均通过广泛的共同基金持有。这场备受全国关注的密歇根州参议院竞选——民主党候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德对阵前共和党众议员迈克·罗杰斯——在周二的州长辩论中并未被提及。共和党人尤其渴望将这位进步派的埃尔-赛义德与其他竞争激烈的选战中的民主党候选人捆绑在一起。
Benson denied that her family had profited from them, while James said that any data center-related stocks he owns were held in broad mutual funds. The nationally watched Michigan Senate race, in which the Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is running against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, did not come up during Tuesday’s gubernatorial debate. Republicans in particular have been eager to tie El-Sayed, a progressive, to other Democratic candidates in competitive races.
两位候选人均未提及该参议院竞选，也未试图将对手与任一参议院提名人联系起来。民主党希望在惠特默任满两届后，继续掌控密歇根州州长职位。特朗普在2024年总统大选中仅以略高于1个百分点的优势赢得该州。NBC新闻将这场竞选描述为倾向民主党。本森和詹姆斯定于10月15日再次进行辩论。
Neither candidate mentioned that race, or attempted to tie their opponent with either Senate nominee. Democrats are looking to keep Michigan’s governorship in their party’s hands after Whitmer’s two terms in office. Trump carried the state by just over 1 point in the 2024 presidential election. NBC News characterizes the race as leaning towards Democrats. Benson and James are scheduled to debate again on Oct. 15.