Congressional Republicans have clear advice for Canadians: Tune out the Trump administration.
After US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney traded rhetorical blows at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week — “Canada lives because of us,” Trump said Wednesday, warning Carney to “remember that” — lawmakers in his party aimed for de-escalation with their neighbors to the North.
“Our relationship is inseparable — and we may have disagreement, but again, the people of Canada and the people of the United States have so much in common, it’s an understatement,” said Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. “So this is just a blip.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., a more frequent Trump critic, said that “I don’t think we should be in the business of responding to every single comment he makes,” adding that “Canada is an important ally.”
Carney earned a standing ovation on Tuesday with his self-written warning that “the rules-based order is fading” worldwide thanks to aggressive powers like Trump’s US. Though Carney did not mention the president by name, Trump publicly acknowledged the snub; in his own Davos remarks on Wednesday, he chided Carney for failing to be “so grateful” for the “freebies” that Ottawa receives.
The back-and-forth highlighted the fraying relationship between the longtime allies since Trump took office. Canada broke from the US this month when it struck a deal with China that exchanges lower electric vehicle tariffs for reduced agricultural levies. And with the fate of the US’ free-trade agreement with Canada and Mexico looking more uncertain, Trump this week shared an image of the US flag superimposed over Canada (plus Greenland and Venezuela).
Even Republicans who were frustrated with Carney’s speech predicted the US-Canada relationship would remain unscathed by his harsh assessment of America’s role in the world.
“It’s unfortunate that the Canadian leadership has chosen this time to respond the way they did,” said Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., who chairs the House Select Committee on China.
But he added that “the US and Canada have great opportunities to collaborate in the area of critical minerals and rare earths and lessen our dependence on China. … I’m confident our countries will work through these differences.”