All posts tagged "canada"

Trump's attack dog is barking at the wrong leaders. He's about to be put down

In late November, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent instructions to US diplomats, directing them to sell Trump’s immigration policies to allies who don’t want them.

In a barely reported move, Rubio instructed diplomats in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada to start “raising concerns” about “immigrant crime” with foreign leaders, while encouraging them to adopt harsher entry restrictions.

Rubio’s directive suggests he is unaware that Canadian, and most European leaders, regard Trump as an undisciplined moron. Unable to read the global room, Rubio instructed American diplomats to “regularly engage host governments” on immigrant crime, and to “report back” on allies who seem “overly supportive of immigrants.”

The goal, Rubio said, is to build foreign support for Trump’s “reform policies related to migrant crime, defending national sovereignty, and ensuring the safety of local communities.”

The result, most likely, will be a collective eye roll.

Exporting lies

Trump, Fox News, and hard right politicians like Viktor Orbán have built their brands around fear mongering, portraying immigrants as dangerous criminals. But educated leaders outside the right-wing echo chamber instantly recognize these claims as false.

In 2024, the National Institute of Justice released figures comparing arrest rates between undocumented immigrants and native-born US citizens, tracked over a seven-year period.

The study found that undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born citizens for violent and drug crimes, and at a quarter the rate of native-born citizens for property crimes. For homicide, undocumented immigrants had the lowest arrest rates throughout the entire study, averaging less than half the rate of US-born citizens. Another multi-year study from Stanford shows the same, with immigrants 30 percent less likely overall to commit crimes than US born natives.

Studies in Europe show similar results. In Germany, where Elon Musk’s darling, the far-right Alternative for Germany party claims that “violent gang rapes” and “knife crimes” by immigrants are “skyrocketing,” media outlets' fact-checking teams showed those claims were false.

In early 2025, researchers found no correlation between immigration and crime rates in Italy, Germany, the UK, France and Belgium. The same results were reported in August for Canada and Australia.

Most importantly, disinformation is more tightly controlled in Europe, and the news media is not allowed to fearmonger the way Fox News does, so when Trump tries to export his playground bully diplomacy, members of the public are more skeptical.

Exporting economic failures

Setting aside perceptions, foreign leaders are aware, even if Trump is not, that his anti-immigrant push has hurt global and local economies.

In the US, no sector has been hurt more by Trump’s anti-immigration push than farmers. American farmers today say their No.1 challenge isn’t the weather, equipment costs, or even the mortgage — it’s finding enough labor. With more than 40 percent of American farm workers lacking legal status, people who used to do the heavy lifting are now staying home in fear while crops rot in the fields.

When ICE started raiding farms earlier this year, a large California farmer told Reuters that around 70 percent of the migrant workforce stopped coming to work, which meant “70 percebt of your crop doesn’t get picked.” She also said out loud what Trump refuses to admit: “Most Americans don’t want to do this (backbreaking) work.”

Although ICE’s effect on food supplies will take more time to assess, immigration policies that ignore regional labor requirements are a long-standing problem. Several years ago, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association begged Congress to expand their accessible labor pool as the dairy industry faces “an acute national labor crisis” without immigrant labor. In 2025, farm labor, and the dairy labor crisis, have worsened.

Industry leaders in Europe say the same. Migrant workers are as crucial to construction, hospitality, and agriculture in the EU as they are in the US. Immigrants in Europe also comprise over 50 percent of the skilled workforce in technology. Overall, immigrant labor has become more crucial, not less, as Europe faces declining population trends.

Bad timing

Emphasizing foreign “sovereignty” in their anti-immigrant efforts, Rubio and Trump somehow miss that exporting Trump’s xenophobia, and dictating its ignorant spread, doesn’t respect our allies’ sovereignty, it offends it.

Trump and Rubio seem to project their own Fox News-based myopia onto the world, assuming foreign audiences accept their fact-free propaganda as blindly as MAGA does. But they don’t. Fox couldn’t hack the UK’s accuracy-in-the-news legal requirement and stopped trying to broadcast there several years ago. In result, EU audiences are better equipped to discern fact from fiction than far-right audiences in the US.

As the administration calls for a travel ban on entire countries full of “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” Rubio’s timing could not be worse. He is pushing Trump’s hatred just when EU allies are credibly accusing him of blackmail, and South America leaders are accusing the administration of murder.

Rubio obviously misapprehends how little regard Europeans and Canadians have for Trump’s uninformed bellicosity. Poor timing on his immigration cable alone suggests our allies will soon start letting his calls go into voicemail.

Sabrina Haake is a columnist and 25+ year federal trial attorney specializing in 1st and 14th A defense. Her Substack, The Haake Take, is free.

Close relationship between US and Canada 'has ended': prime minister

The "close relationship" between the United States and Canada has ended, according to its prime minister, Mark Carney.

In an appearance to announce a series of economic measures to help and protect the steel and lumber industries, PM Carney made it clear what Canada's relationship with the U.S. now looked like.

"We know that this decades long process of our ever-closer economic relationship between Canada and the United States has ended, and as a consequence of that, many of our strengths have become our vulnerabilities, particularly in those industries that are most tightly integrated with the United States," Carney said.

Protecting the steel and lumber mills came through further limitations on foreign steel imports, which CTV News reports is largely aimed at making a dent in rising Chinese steel imports.

It's not the only problem Canadian and United States' relationship is facing, with Canadians ditching the US to make holiday plans just about anywhere else. Ten months on from the start of Trump's second term and it seems Canadians are still being cautious about holidaying in the U.S.

Both last-minute travelers and vacationers abroad see members of the public avoiding the U.S., as they instead head further afield for their trips. The number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by car and plane in September dropped by a third compared to the same month last year, according to The Economic Times.

Canadian holidaymakers have since shed some light on why they are avoiding the U.S., with some fearing ICE Agents and rising travel costs.

Nathalie Morisseau says the U.S. is currently "not attractive" as a place to holiday in, and she even considers it "scary." She added, "With my father being Haitian, there’s a certain fear around being able to go to the United States."

Canadian services are suffering too as a result of the travel downturn. Will McAleer, executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, said, "Canadians are really choosing destinations other than the US to travel." The group found that just 10 percent of baby boomers have plans to head to the US this winter, a drop of two-thirds compared to last year.

'No way we're going back': Canadians are flying just about anywhere but the US

Canadians are still boycotting travel to the United States and say there's "no way we're going back" while Donald Trump is in power.

10 months on from the start of Trump's second term and it seems Canadians are still being cautious about holidaying in the US. Both last-minute holidaymakers and planned breaks abroad see members of the public avoiding the States, as they instead head further afield for their trips. The number of Canadians returning from the US by car and plane in September dropped by a third compared to the same month last year, according to The Economic Times.

Canadian holidaymakers have since shed some light on why they are avoiding the US, with some fearing ICE Agents and rising travel costs. Nathalie Morisseau says the US is currently "not attractive" as a place to holiday in, and she even considers it "scary." She added, "With my father being Haitian, there’s a certain fear around being able to go to the United States."

Americans are trying to appeal to Canadians with little success. Governor Gavin Newsom launched the "California loves Canada" drive, but Senior VP of Visit California Ryan Becker says it hasn't worked. Figures show a drop of $700 million on the expected spend from Canadian visitors to California.

Becker said, "That's a gut punch to the industry." Canadian services are suffering too as a result of the travel downturn. Will McAleer, executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, said, "Canadians are really choosing destinations other than the US to travel." The group found that just 10% of baby boomers have plans to head to the US this winter, a drop of two-thirds compared to last year.

Not all Canadians are avoiding the US though, with younger residents heading to the States but not publicly profiling their trip as they once would have. Travel blogger Barry Choi explained this quieter change is because travelling to the US is still "cheaper" than holidays to other continents.

Choi said, "Going to Orlando Disney is probably cheaper than going to Tokyo Disney." Weather could play a part in bringing Canadians down to the US, with Jill Wykes, editor of Snowbird Advisor, suggesting the first snowstorm of the year will be a major factor in changing Canadian travel plans.

She said, "We haven't even had the first snowstorm yet. That normally makes people want to go."

Trump's latest meltdown reveals terror that he's going to outlive MAGA: analyst

An analyst has a theory about President Donald Trump's major worry — and asking "what are the chances that MAGA will outlive Trump?"

Trump is afraid the Supreme Court will take action to remove his retaliatory tariffs and challenge his economic moves, Salon columnist Heather Digby Parton writes Thursday.

"Besides the recent concerns he expressed about the state of his soul, he fears the Supreme Court will strip him of his tariff privileges," Digby Parton writes. "We know this because he had a temper tantrum upon hearing that Ontario had produced a television advertisement featuring President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs — a response that was revealing, both about his mindset and strategy, and about how MAGA has turned away from Reagan’s once-mythic legacy."

Trump had a strong reaction to the brutal advertisement that aired last weekend during the World Series. His response also highlights some of the shifts happening among MAGA — and what the future looks like, Digby Parton wrote.

"Many of the staunch Reaganites who once believed in free markets, small government, private enterprise, international institutions and the 'Pax Americana' guarantor of global security are now MAGA aficionados, enthusiastically endorsing every scheme Trump comes up with, from state capitalism to trade wars," Digby Parton writes.

"Unlike the movement Reagan represented, there’s no long term education project, no underlying ideology, no commitment to principles. One day the administration is full force America First isolationism, and the next finds itself blowing up boats full of civilians in international waters, with the president proclaiming 'to the victors go the spoils.'"

It's unclear what Trump's legacy might be, she adds.

"Does that erratic philosophy sound like something that can last? If the conservative movement that endured for decades can be stripped, virtually overnight, of everything but the ugly underbelly of crude racism and revanchist anger that fueled it, what are the chances that MAGA will outlive Trump?"

Trump trolled by Ontario official after being hit with brutal ad during World Series

A Canadian official Monday brutally trolled President Donald Trump after he put out an ad that aired during the World Series and led Trump to call off trade talks with its North American neighbor and impose new tariffs.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford called it "the best ad I ever ran," Newsweek reports.

The ad featured a clip from former President Ronald Reagan giving a critical take on how tariffs can backfire in foreign trade. An irate Trump threatened to retaliate with a 10% rise in tariffs, which was paused after airing.

“You know why President Trump is so upset right now? It was because it was effective,” Ford said.

Canada is America's second-largest trading ally, with Mexico the leading partner.

Canada and the United States were in the midst of negotiations before the ad aired.

The president's reactions to the ad have sparked a trade war with Canada. Both countries have swapped tariffs against the other, including steel, aluminum, lumber, automobiles and more.

Trump made his announcement last week on Truth Social after seeing the commercial.

The Reagan Foundation said it was "reviewing legal options" over the ad, which was issued by Ontario's provincial government showing video from a 1987 speech by the late president, which the foundation claimed was selectively edited and misleading, and Trump declared "fake."

"They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts," Trump posted. "TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED."

This jilted ally has a long-term plan for revenge — and Trump's already feeling the pain

The latest version of Trump’s mood-contingent tariffs took effect Thursday, prompting Trump to post-boast two minutes before midnight that “BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS” are now pouring into the US. He skipped the part where American companies pay those tariffs, which soon will trickle down to consumers in the form of higher prices.

The vast majority of economists and CEOs reject Trump’s market mayhem and predict that his tariffs will have disastrous consequences on the US economy. Outside Fox News, where Trump’s economic illiteracy is celebrated, economists are aghast. In April, dozens of top economists, including two Nobel laureates, signed a letter advising that Trump’s tariffs have “no basis in economic reality,” calling Trump’s tariff policy ‘misguided,’ and warning it could cause a “self-inflicted recession.”

Hard data mapping the tariffs’ effects won’t be available immediately; if Trump can help it, judging by his handling of the jobs report, that data won’t come out at all. But it’s already clear, contrary to his promise of creating more factory jobs, that Trump’s tariff threats coincided with job losses nationwide.

Trump has purposely upended domestic and world trade, leading both the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to downgrade their predictions for global economic growth. Economists John Silvia and Brad Jensen argue that Trump’s tariffs will slow the economy, resulting simultaneously in fewer jobs and lower real wages. They predict the economic erosion will be a slow, steady process rather than an immediate collapse.

Oh Canada!

While some US trade partners are shocked at the lack of pushback from Trump’s allegedly “pro-business” Republican Party, no trading partner has been jilted quite so ignominiously as Canada.

Despite having only about 11 percent of the population of the US, Canada was the single largest importer of U.S. goods, and our second-largest foreign investor. Trump’s mean-spirited tariffs and rhetoric gutted that symbiosis for good. Trump hit Canadian steel and aluminum with up to 50 percent tariffs, and slapped Canadian pharmaceuticals and autos with 35 percent tariffs, depending on where components are made. The tariffs have already triggered Canadian layoffs, including at General Motors Canada, a subsidiary of American GM, and will soon jack the prices of $3 billion worth of Canadian pharmaceuticals consumed in the US annually.

Doug Ford, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, urges forceful pushback. Instead of rolling over to please an irrational Trump, Ford wants Canada to “Hit that guy back as hard as we possibly can.” Trained economist and banker–turned–Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, takes a more measured approach. He recently noted that Trump, in effect, is now charging for access to the US economy, causing trading partners to look elsewhere.

Carney’s response has been a diplomatic and classy middle finger. Instead of tit for tat, Carney is pivoting Canada with precision toward alternative trade blocs like Europe and the Pacific rim. He’s also seeding more self-reliance manufacturing, re-targeting billions into Canadian manufacturing investments as he approaches other nations where “free trade is a commitment, not a condition.”

Thanks to Trump, what was once one of the most stable, peaceful, and lucrative relationships in the world has been destabilized. One in four Canadians now views the U.S. as an enemy, while 76 percent hold an unfavorable opinion of Trump and consider him “dangerous.”

Impatient Canadians are taking matters into their own hands, boycotting U.S. products and promoting “Made in Canada” goods. A majority of Canadian provinces are boycotting certain American products altogether. US-made beer, wine, and spirits have disappeared from Canadian shelves, leading the CEO of Jack Daniel to call the boycott “worse than tariffs.”

Angry Canadians are also boycotting American foods, especially fast food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, and Domino’s. Other American owned restaurants including Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, and Popeyes, are also facing boycotts, while US coffee chains Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Keurig have already reported losses of Canadian sales. Canadians are buying local and rejecting American products like butter and dairy spreads, prepared bakery foods, pizza, pastries, and even US-made condiments, and tourists are skipping US destinations, with Forbes reporting a 33 percent reduction in June.

A mature contrast

As Canadians sour on the US under Trump, anti-American rhetoric is spreading and Canadian nationalism is surging. Aside from the tariffs, Canadians are triggered by Trump’s repeated insults against Canadian sovereignty as he urges them, like a sarcastic mob boss offering protection, to become the 51st state. Disgusted Canadians are calling for further trade retaliation against the US, with over 60 percent of all Canadians urging Carney to adopt retaliatory counter-tariffs.

But instead of responding impulsively, Carney is playing the long game. Lamenting that Canada can “no longer count on” the US, which had been its “most valued“ trading partner, Carney is shifting Canada away from US customers, helping affected Canadian companies find new buyers, forge new partnerships, and develop new products.

In contrast to Trump’s bluster-filled, roulette approach to tariffs, Carney stresses that he “will apply tariffs where they have the maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact in Canada.”

Suggesting he will study the facts in product-specific markets before he acts — another marked contrast to Trump — Carney said he would not respond quickly but would adjust after the facts come in, and develop a strategy that is industry specific.

This embarrassing Gufus and Gallant study in contrasts has led an unprecedented number of Americans to research how to export an entirely new product to Canada: themselves.

Sabrina Haake is a columnist and 25+ year federal trial attorney specializing in 1st and 14th A defense. Her Substack, The Haake Take, is free.

'Lay off the links!' Critics roast 'TACO' Trump over flailing trade blitz

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went back and forth with CNN's Dana Bash on Monday over whether President Donald Trump made the "90 deals in 90 days" he promised.

Trump had paused his tariffs for 90 days, during which he was supposed to negotiate with China, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries. But with just a couple of days to go, "The majority of those deals did not materialize, except for a handful of exceptions," CNN reported.

Critics on social media expressed dismay at the lack of progress, although they didn't seem surprised.

Political commentator Cyrus Janssen posted to X, "If you want to understand how big Trump's tariff war has failed, just look at what's now being reported. In April, Trump proudly boasted that 'everybody wants to make a deal' and it was possible for 90 deals in 90 days. The reality? Over 100 countries didn't even bother to contact Trump and discuss, now Trump and his team are threatening tariffs again. Seriously, are we going to go through all this nonsense again just to see Trump serve TACOs and reverse his tariffs like he did with China in less than 30 days?"

@Andie00471 wrote, "By my count we have an absurd deal with the UK, actual tariffs on Canada & Mexico, concepts of a plan with China, a few auto specific tariffs and JACK S--- with the rest of the world. The TACO King may want to lay off the links and do some actual negotiating because the clock is ticking."

TACO refers to the unflattering moniker, "Trump Always Chickens Out" on trade deals.

Financier @SpencerHakimian wrote, "BESSENT: 100 COUNTRIES WILL GET 10% RECIPROCAL TARIFF. So basically, you guys accomplished absolutely nothing in your 90 day negotiation window and now we all have to pay a 10% tax for your stupidity?"

Self-professed RINO @MikeBates wrote, "In April Trump claimed his phone was burning up with calls about tariffs: 'Every country is calling and being very solicitous, very, very nice.' Trump’s Treasury secretary Bessent today: 'Many of these countries never even contacted us.' So who’s lying?"

Watch the clip below via CNN.

'Putting up the closed sign': Trump policies have cost vital US business $29B

Millions of international travelers who are turned off by President Donald Trump's policies on everything from tariffs to immigration are choosing to spend their vacation dollars elsewhere — and it's costing the U.S. economy up to $29 billion, according to reporting in Forbes.

The report cited a study from the World Travel & Tourism Council that revealed the U.S. was the only country out of 184 studied that was expecting a decline in tourist spending in 2025.

Forbes quoted Julia Simpson, president and CEO of WTTC, saying, “While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign."

At least that's the perception being received by international tourists, according to Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics.

"In its latest client note, Tourism Economics blamed 'sentiment headwinds' for its projections of significant declines in visitation from Canada (-20.2%) and Western Europe (-4.9%) in 2025. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, travel bans, inflammatory rhetoric and harsh immigration policies have combined for a chilling effect on visitors—and there’s little indication of a reversal anytime soon," Forbes reported.

Aran Ryan, director of industry studies at Tourism Economics, told Forbes, “Given we’re halfway through the year and we’ve seen these impacts, we don't know when the stiffest headwind is, but I think it does stay sustained. We’re generally assuming that this persists for a while and that some of it is going to persist throughout the end of the administration.”

Read the Forbes article here.

Canadian PM 'shuts off' Trump as press conference heads 'off the rails': CNN

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney interrupted a question and answer session with Donald Trump at Monday's G7 summit before the U.S. president got too much into the weeds discussing ICE raids on "blue cities," according to CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes.

As Trump began to rehash his usual talking points, claiming former President Joe Biden allowed "murderers, killers, people from gangs, people from jails," into the United States, the Canadian leader — and host of the meeting which is being held in Alberta — stepped in.

"If you don't mind, just — I'm going to exercise my role, if you will, as G7 chair, since we have a few more minutes with the president and his team, and then we actually have to start the meeting to address some of these big issues," Carney said.

As the press yelled questions, and Trump appeared willing to talk more, the event was hurriedly ended.

Holmes noted the significance of Carney's action.

"I do just want to point out one thing that we all just took away from that, was that the prime minister learned his lesson from the last time he had this kind of interaction with Donald Trump, where it went completely off the rails," she said, referring to Trump's Oval Office meeting with Carney in May.

"The longer that Donald Trump took questions, the more aggressive it got, the more tense that Carney got in that meeting in the Oval Office. Here, he set the boundaries. He set the timeline. And, you saw the president there. He would have continued to take questions. Carney stepping in to say, 'We're moving forward now. We need to finish our conversations, the behind-the-scenes.'"

Holmes said that normally, when the U.S. president meets with a head of state, they "have these pleasantries, exchange a couple questions, and then it's over."

Donald Trump, however, "has been opening up these meetings to the public with the cameras," she continued. "And you can tell, Carney, here wanted to shut that off."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

'No Canada for you!' King Charles needles Trump during state visit

Britain's King Charles let Donald Trump know exactly how he felt about the president's desire to absorb Canada as the 51st state of the USA.

Charles made what Reuters called "a symbolic visit" to the commonwealth nation Tuesday "to show support" in the face of Trump's threats of tariffs and annexation.

The King addressed Canada's parliament in what was dubbed "the throne speech" for the opening of the government's 45th session.

“Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination, and freedom are values which Canadians hold dear and ones which the government is determined to protect,” Charles said, adding, “We will unleash a new era of growth that will ensure we don’t just survive the ongoing trade wars, but emerge from them stronger than ever."

Pro-Canada social media celebrated the King's remarks.

EXCLUSIVE: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in shade

"No Canada for You: King Charles' Canada remarks seem to rebuke Trump," declared the account of Really American. "Forget about the 51st State."

Sunday Mail editor Sarah-Louise Robertson posted, "Strong words from #kingcharles at the Canadian Parliament on the importance of democracy and rule of law. He has spoken of Canada’s history and importance of its future relationship with British monarchy. A rebuff to Trump’s attempt to join it to the USA. [Canadian Prime Minister] Carney looks pleased.

"I am not by any means a royal watcher. However, King Charles visiting Canada at this point in our history is particularly important," wrote the account of @mjeso. The King of Canada giving the speech from the throne to open Parliament is a clear signal to those who advocate 51st state foolishness!"

Supporters were particularly delighted when Charles read a line from Canada's national anthem.

"King Charles III: 'As the anthem reminds us: The True North is indeed strong & free!' Canada's sovereignty is recognized! Got that Trump? Thank you King Charles & PM Carney for inviting His Majesty to address Canadians. I'm so proud of my [Canadian flag emoji]! Vive le Canada! Long live the King!" wrote Canada Strong.

Occupy Democrats wrote, "King Charles III of the United Kingdom enrages MAGA world by proclaiming that Canada will remain 'strong and free' amidst Donald Trump's efforts to turn it into the '51st state.' And it gets even better... 'The ‘True North is indeed strong and free,' Charles said during an address on the first day of Canadian Parliament."

Charles's visit marks just the third time a monarch has delivered the throne speech to Canada's parliament.