Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently shared his thoughts on a variety of pressing issues, including trade relations with China, energy resources in the United States, and the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state. Trump further stressed that any talk of Canada joining the union as a 51st state would only be pursued if both parties were equally interested. He emphasized this important point throughout his comments.
Trump made it clear that he has no intention of initiating conversations about Canada becoming the 51st state unless others express a desire to engage in such discussions. It bears emphasis that “It takes two to tango when it comes to Canada as the 51st state.” He agrees that real dialogue only happens with authentic willingness to work together from both parties.
The former president even teased a better one on the way as early as last week. He hinted strongly that we should be looking for big news this Thursday, Friday, or Monday, before he disappears from the public spotlight. Though he didn’t get into details, there is great expectation around this announcement given the context of active US-China trade negotiations and other complicated international relations.
In incredibly blunt terms when talking about China, Trump lamented that China has not played ball during trade negotiations. As a result, he said, “China’s economy is clearly hurting from the absence of U.S. trade.” This fact alone shows that the stalled negotiations are hurting both countries. He underscored that China wants to negotiate and is willing to engage at the appropriate time. Furthermore, he indicated that he was really keen to connect with them in a more substantive way.
When it comes to energy Trump bragged that in the U.S., we have a lot of energy. Particularly for the sake of his administration’s focus on energy independence and the promotion of domestic production, this would be a fitting assertion. He said without equivocation that – for Canada, at least – this would not make economic sense in the long-term. This has been particularly acute as demand for Canadian-made automobiles in the U.S. has collapsed.
Trump elaborated on U.S.-Canada trade relations, pointing out that while the U.S. does not rely heavily on imports of cars from Canada, the opposite is true for Canada. As he pointed out, “Canada is doing a ton with the U.S.,” highlighting the lopsided nature of trade flows between our two countries. This stark observation begs the question, what is the long-term future of auto manufacturing in Canada given a shifting economic paradigm.
In the midst of disparaging comments about trade with Canada, Trump claimed to want to be friends with our neighbor to the north. He reinforced his excellent message that good relationships are very important and he sees great things coming from all of our collaboration in the future. As his comments indicate, we’re at a confluence of economic interests and diplomatic relationships.
When speaking about trade tariffs, Trump called out former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney for having poisoned the well on U.S.-Canada relations. He stated flatly that Carney “couldn’t say anything to change tariffs,” emphasizing his administration’s firm stance on trade policies. This comment marks Trump’s willingness to keep tariffs in place as part of bigger negotiations.
As Trump continues to find his way through these complicated waters, his comments highlight both the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for U.S.-Canada relations and international trade. His comments on China and minerals and energy resources demonstrate the importance of these key sectors for future innovation and partnership.