Cox calls James ‘frickin’ hypocrite’ over alleged China ties; James says claim is a ‘Democrat lie’

Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, in his bid for the Republican nomination for governor, used a Tuesday morning press conference to present “some new serious evidence” of ties between Renaissance Global Logistics  — where his primary rival, John James, served as CEO prior to his stint in Congress — and Chinese manufacturing.

Cox shared data that he said showed 921 imports from China to the company during James’ time in Congress, including a recent shipment of Equinox wheel rims for GM products, which Cox’s campaign estimated to be worth around $1.4 million.

These are not new arguments against James — reporting in 2020 from the Detroit Free Press and the Daily Beast shared similar information, and Cox himself put out a press release in March making largely the same argument.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX.

“You don’t get to run on America First when your business depends on China,” he wrote in the March release. “Michigan workers see right through that.”

But asked what voters should take away differently from the press conference that differed from prior reporting, Cox said that this information had never been reported on before — even though the Free Press article is quoted on his own site launched to attack James.

James, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is facing Cox in the Aug. 4 GOP primary along with businessman Perry Johnson. All three are scheduled to participate in two televised debates this week; Wednesday on WJBK, FOX 2 Detroit and then again on Thursday in Grand Rapids on WOOD-TV.

U.S. House committee resolves complaint against John James, says no official funds used for campaign

Alyvia Bailey, the press secretary for the James campaign, said Cox’s line of attack showed exactly why he is unfit to be governor, and quickly disputed the merits of the claim in the first place.

Renaissance Global Logistics is a supply chain company which moves other companies’ parts overseas rather than manufacturing parts directly.

“He’s a failed career politician who knows nothing about Michigan’s manufacturing and auto industry or how to keep it in Michigan. If he did, he might’ve done something about the foothold China gained in the state while he was Attorney General,” Bailey continued. “John James’ family business employs nearly 400 Michigan workers keeping American auto plants running. They export American goods to protect American jobs. Cox doesn’t know the difference between imports and exports.”

Cox also called James a “nepo baby” referring to his former role as the president of James Group International, a supply-chain management and logistics services company which was founded by his father, John A. James.

“John James says one thing in D.C., he says one thing when he’s in Macomb County to his constituents, that he’s America First, that he puts American jobs first, that he put Michigan jobs first,” he said. “But when he’s here in his office with his brother, they put their profits over the people of Macomb, their profits over the people of Michigan, their profits over the jobs of auto workers all across our nation.”

When asked what he hoped to see James do differently, Cox told reporters that James should “Stop being a frickin’ hypocrite.”

Cox also repeatedly referenced his family’s union background as driving his understanding of the issue of reshoring American manufacturing.

But when pressed on his own support for “right to work” policies — which his campaign defined as “state-specific laws or policies that ensure a person cannot be forced to join or pay dues to a labor union as a condition of employment” — and their potential harms to unions, Cox quickly dismissed them.

“Here’s the reality, there was no union that was hurt by right to work, but we do know this, maybe a couple public sector unions, but no real working man’s, working women’s union was hurt by right to work,” he said at Tuesday’s press conference. “We do know this.”