U.S. President Donald Trump is once again taking aim at Canada through his social media posts, while American politicians on both sides of the aisle have been vocal in response to the latest escalation of the trade war between the United States and Canada.
Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended tariff talks late Friday evening, just ahead of Trump’s midnight deadline to impose a threatened 50 per cent tariff on $28 billion of Canadian goods.
Carney said Canada will match the new tariffs “dollar-for-dollar,” adding that “last-minute changes” made by the U.S. to its proposed terms were “unfair, uneconomic and called into question the reliability of any deal.”
The prime minister added that the apparent last-second demands by the U.S. would’ve restricted Canadian deals with other nations.
In response, Trump, in a social media post Monday morning, claimed that Canada is “among the worst Nations in the World to deal with” on trade and other matters. “They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US! They do 95% of their business with the U.S., with us, the exact opposite!’
Here’s what Americans have been saying about the trade war so far:
President Trump
On Monday afternoon, Trump took aim at Premier Doug Ford in a post on the president’s social media platform while Ford was simultaneously criticizing Trump’s tariffs at a news conference.
“Lots of ‘bluster’ from Doug Ford, who is the Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario, but who is better known as the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford,” Trump wrote.
The president referred to “Governor Carney, and his Flunky, Ford,” insisting they “will not be allowed to keep taking advantage of the United States — Their key to survival.”
Ford fired back moments later when asked about Trump at his news conference.
“You think an insult from him hurts me?” Ford said. “Well, bring it on buddy. I’m ready. Bring it on.”’
On Friday before the deadline, Trump expressed optimism about an agreement, saying “the deal with Canada is moving along.”
But since the talks fell through, he has shifted back into attack mode.
“Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!” the president posted early Sunday morning. “They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!!”
A day later, Trump continued taking shots at Canada and floated another attempt to penalize the U.S. ally. He claimed Monday morning that the country “has been ripping off the United States of America for years” with “ridiculously high tariffs” affecting the farmers and their products, and threatened to double tariffs on Canadian autos and steel from 25 to 50 per cent on Jan. 1.
JD Vance
U.S. Vice President JD Vance took some jabs at Canada while speaking at an event in Maine on Monday afternoon.
Vance called Canada “a state” and claimed it was a Freudian slip. The vice president then claimed Canada has underinvested in its military, which “quite literally would get invaded by a foreign country were it not for the umbrella of protection provided by the United States of America.”
The vice president claimed Canada is applying “ridiculous tariffs” and other nontariff duties on Maine products coming into Canada, adding that “we’re sick of that.”
“I think we need to send a message loud and clear to the prime minister of Canada: Stop taking advantage of the people of Maine,” Vance continued. ”Stop taking advantage of America. It’s over. We expect fairness in our trade policy.”
Jamieson Greer
Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, lashed out at Canada in the immediate aftermath of the talks ending.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, the X account for his office accused Canada of making “new demands and walk backs of other commitments” and claimed it was in spite of a “U.S. offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market.”
Greer’s office wrote that Canada was “continuing to maintain its prolonged retaliation against the United States, which he said included “flat-out prohibitions on certain American goods and services.”
Greer kept criticizing Canada during an appearance on Fox News on Saturday afternoon. The trade official said no further trade talks are planned with Canada and that the U.S. will move forward with “measures that respond to Canadian retaliation.”
“They’ve always had the best deal, and they still would have an even better deal, but they didn’t want that,” Greer said of Canada.
Sean Duffy
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy falsely claimed in his own appearance on Fox News on Sunday morning that Canada “has no military” and called the northern neighbours “foolish” for both wanting to “go to war with Donald Trump” and for believing they’ll “actually win that war.”
Meanwhile, politicians from states that border Canada were quick to criticize the president and continued doing so Monday.
Kathy Hochul
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on social media Saturday that Trump was “needlessly picking fights with our allies and raising prices here at home.”
Patty Murray
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington wrote Saturday that “Trump owes our friends and neighbours an apology for nearly (two) years of his boorish insults and jeers,” adding that “Canada is NOT the 51st state.”
In an earlier post Saturday, Murray claimed American families and businesses are the ones who pay the 50 per cent tariffs on Canada.
Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wrote Saturday that people in her state “are uniquely impacted by DC Republicans’ ongoing, chaotic tariff wars with Canada,” adding that the tariffs are essentially “a tax hike on Michigan families and businesses by raising prices at the grocery store and the gas pump.”
Whitmer followed up with posts saying Michigan companies, including its automakers, are being forced to decide between layoffs and passing costs on to customers, “who are already suffering because of the GOP’s gamesmanship.” She added that “this must end” and that people in her state “literally cannot afford to keep paying these Republican tariff taxes.”
Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota lamented Saturday morning that ”Minnesotans are paying for Trump’s chaos” and pointed out that Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner.
Two days later, Klobuchar wrote “again and again, Trump’s tariffs have created higher costs and chaos.” She explained that she’s worked with Canada frequently on trade and has always been able to work it out in the past because it “hugely benefits both countries. But not with this President.”
Bernie Sanders
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said the breakdown in trade talks between the U.S. and Canada was just one action in “another week in Trump’s dysfunctional government,” and blasted the renewed trade war with “our closest ally.”
Vermont’s second senator Peter Welch also denounced the latest spat, saying “Trump’s illegal trade war with Canada is reckless and wrong.” He said the trade war has been damaging to the state’s businesses and farmers and urged Republican senators to help stand against “an out of control president.”
Tony Evers
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers slammed Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, the state’s largest export market, as “reckless” and a disgrace.
“Trump’s reckless tariffs and trade wars are leaving Wisconsin’s farmers and producers in the lurch,” Evers wrote, calling on Republicans in Congress to rebuke the president.
