Canada: Trump Target

CANADA: TRUMP TARGET

Canada (pop.40 million), close US ally and foremost trading partner, is being assaulted by the US in a way unprecedented since the era of the War of 1812. At that time the US military invaded Canada, then under Britain, to punish its support for native people fighting against US settlement, and there were many who wanted to annex Canada at that time.

Pres. Trump has not only threatened Canada with tariffs, but has even revived the call for annexation, insultingly referring to Liberal Party prime minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” and treating him with disdain. Trudeau is now on his way out, and a Conservative Party victory in the upcoming election is likely. The favored candidate is Pierre Poilievre, a brash and combative personality somewhat in the Trump mode. But Trump’s bullying and his threats to Canadian sovereignty are not popular. Poilievre has had to distance himself from this aspect of Trump’s message, although he agrees with Trump about “elites”, “wokeness”, lower taxes, smaller government, and free markets.

Source: The New York Times, 2/21/25