As Trump's Power Wanes, Canadians Are Not Alone In Calling His Bluff
Oh good, another war. This time a trade war with Canada and for no other reason than ... what? To give Donald Trump a new stage for big-league bullying? To divert attention from the Jeffrey Epstein files? Who knows. Whatever. Trying to humiliate our closest ally does not serve American interests, ya think?
I say "trying" because Trump's powers are much diminished. Canadians are calling Trump's bluff, as are other countries and even some formerly supine Republican lawmakers. And it's getting harder to ignore the loose screws rattling around his head.
We won't go into the particulars of this latest trade dispute. Canada as well as the United States appeared to have thrown in last-minute demands. And Trump's new tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods affect only about 5% of Canada's exports to the U.S.
The bigger story here is the willingness of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to defend his nation's honor even at a cost to his economy.
Moments after the tariffs went into effect, Trump recycled a golden oldie of abuse by posting on Truth Social, "Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!! They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No More!!!"
About our great farmers, Trump has just lowered taxes on foreign beef in an obvious attempt to cut prices for steaks and hamburgers before the midterm elections. The higher prices were a godsend to American cattle ranchers already coping with wildfires, droughts and restrictions on shipments of young Mexican cattle to be fattened in U.S. feedlots.
"You don't put America first by putting U.S. cattle producers last," U.S. Cattlemen's Association President Justin Tupper said in response.
Trump keeps saying that the U.S. doesn't need Canadian products. But guess what his new round of tariffs doesn't include? Canadian oil or gas.
Talk of turning Canada into a state is perhaps Trump's most hostile assault on Canadian pride. Trump had referred to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Gov. Trudeau. (He's quite the card.) He called the border between our two countries "an artificially drawn line" and said he would use "economic force" to make a takeover happen.
While visiting the Oval Office last year, Carney said that Canada "is not for sale" and "won't be for sale ever." Trump responded, "Never say never."
Over the weekend, Trump's first vice president, Mike Pence, provided a dose of sobriety. "American consumers pay American tariffs," he said. "My hope is, for the sake of American families and for the sake of the American economy, that what we're looking at here is negotiation and not confrontation in a trade war."
Though Trump's tantrums should fly over the northern border like bad weather systems that will pass, the abuse has long-term effects that have already come back to bite us. Against Trump's wishes, Canada is now doing its separate deals with China. He has threatened a 100 percent tariff on Canada over that.
A recent Angus Reid survey of Canadians found that more than 75 percent wanted Carney to hold his ground, even as 90 percent worried about economic costs. The Canadian pollster has also found that 79 percent of Americans still liked Canadians. But even if Canadians don't think Americans dislike them, the fact remains that the voters elected Trump twice.
Trump just said he'll tack 50% tariffs on vehicles and parts from Canada. A silver lining is that Trump's broadsides have become so unhinged, the prospects of his Republican enablers retaining that much power after November are much reduced.
Trump may be seeming more temporary, but in the meantime, we have another war, a ridiculous trade war.
Froma Harrop is an award winning journalist who covers politics, economics and culture. She has worked on the Reuters business desk, edited economics reports for The New York Times News Service and served on the Providence Journal editorial board.
