US President Donald Trump has called Canada “one of the nastiest countries to deal with” while trade tensions between the two nations are still rising. The ongoing trade dispute began with the US imposing tariffs on Canadian goods, which has resulted in Canada’s retaliatory boycotts against US goods.
Trump, in an interview with Fox News, was asked why he is so tough on Canada compared to other great competitors. Trump responded, “I deal with every country, indirectly or directly. One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada.”
Trump further claimed that Canada should be the “51st state” and claimed that the US subsidizes Canada to the tune of around $200 billion a year. This figure greatly exaggerates the actual US trade deficit with Canada, which is an estimated $63.3 billion in 2024, as reported by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office.
Over the course of the trade war, Trump has consistently branded Canada the 51st state and at one point also called current former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “Governor Trudeau.” Trump’s comments have been significant because they mark a shift in the otherwise friendly relationship between the two countries.
Talking about the US reliance on Canadian imports, Trump stated, “We don’t need their lumber, we don’t need their energy, we don’t need anything. We certainly don’t want their automobiles.”
When Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked him why he was “tougher” on Canada, Trump once more replied, “Only because it’s meant to be our 51st state.”
Added to these pressures, economist and former Bank of England governor Mark Carney has addressed Trump vigorously. He pledged to “stand up to” Trump and laid out that trade negotiations regarding an expansion of a partnership with America will only proceed once Trump ceases making “disrespectful” comments toward Canadian sovereignty.
On the subject of the next Canadian federal elections, Trump said that it would be easier to negotiate with the existing Liberal Party government rather than with the Conservative opposition. “I don’t care. I think it’s easier to deal, actually, with a Liberal, and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me at all,” he said.
As the trade war rages on, the US-Canada diplomatic relationship is subjected to unparalleled stress.
