Summary
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced Trump’s sudden 25% tariffs, warning they threaten American jobs and will inflate consumer costs.
He revealed that Trump refuses to take his calls and sharply criticized claims linking tariffs to illegal immigration and fentanyl crossing U.S. borders.
In retaliation, Canada and Mexico imposed matching tariffs, targeting crucial American exports like auto parts, agriculture, and red-state staples like famous Kentucky bourbon.
Trudeau warned American factories may shut, citing integrated supply chains.
This assumes the people in the red States would see the chain of causation, which is unlikely.
It will create an enemy out of the taxing countries. I dont have a better idea but at this point his base will never turn from him.
Trump’s base is a lost cause, but the pain may get the soft Dem voters to get off their arses and turn out for the next election.
Nothing will shift Maga, so appealing to them is wasted.
I agree there is a large subset of MAGA that are lost causes, however, I’ve seen a couple people around me change their minds on Trump: One was over the H1B (fear of job loss) and the other was over these recent tariffs (fear of paying more). Had to cause issues that could have direct impacts to them personally to change their minds, but there you have it.
Republicans only care when it affects then directly.
Justin Trudeau tried to speak to the American people and did play heavy on the lasting friendship between the two countries. Will that dull the backlash against Canada? Trump wants an enemy out of Mexico, Canada, and China.
Which is hilarious because one of those things is not like the other
There’s a personal enmity between Trudeau and Trump. Trudeau shot his mouth off a lot the last 8 years, and really ramped it up the last 4, never thought Trump would be back, and then went on the news crying about Trump winning wasn’t fair, after making an ill advised trip to Mar a Largo instead of sending his foreign affairs minister, or anyone else that Trump didn’t literally hate. Trump, he’s talked a lot of shit about Trudeau being a two faced weasel and other (also not untrue) comments about his intelligence. If anyone is gonna fix it, it’s Trudeau’s replacement, coming fairly soon, or possibly the guy after that, federal election by early summer, late spring most likely. Trudeau’s desperate need to hold on ten years into power when literally everyone was telling him to get the fuck out is really hampering us right now.
Trump hasn’t liked Trudeau since he won Trump’s stupid little handshake game.
… what? No lol.
The number one predictor of electoral outcomes is people’s feelings on the economy.
The idea is this will force red state senators to do something. It worked during the Bush administration, anyways.