US Dopers - how do you feel about Trump's threats to Canada?

Politics & Elections
1

One of the many Canadopers here - you may know of me as the person who starts the Canadoper cafe thread.

Let me start by saying I’m no longer in any kind of joking mood on the question, and I think I speak for a majority of Canadians when I say that.

I am an ex-pat Canadian living in NYC at present. I’m appalled by Trump’s continual disrespect for the US’ largest trading partner (“The trade relationship of the United States with Canada is the largest in the world. In 2023, the goods and services trade between the two countries totalled $923 billion. U.S. exports were $441 billion, while imports were $482 billion, for a United States $41 billion trade deficit with Canada.” Cite - Canada–United States trade relations - Wikipedia ) and insulted by his assertion that he will not use military force but rather economic force to make us a 51st state.

For some clarity, here is a news report on a Leger poll on how Canadians would feel about joining the US - https://www.newsweek.com/canada-51st-us-american-state-how-canadians-feel-poll-2002702

Highlights of the survey direct from Leger itself -

From December 6 to 9, 2024, we surveyed Canadians on if Canada should become the 51st state of the United States.

Highlights include…

  • 13% of Canadians say that they would like Canada to become the 51st state of the United States. 82% say they would not like the idea.
  • Conservative (21%) and People’s Party (25%) voters are more likely to be in favour of Canada joining the United States.

The Leger survey can be found at their website - Download the report to learn

There is no justification for these tariffs, and they are contrary to all of the Free Trade agreements Canada has negotiated with the US - the original FTA, NAFTA, and the recent USCMA. In tearing up these agreements, the US is showing that it is a nation that does not believe in international laws governing fair trade between nations.

Mr. Trump’s insulting statements, referring to then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as ‘governor’, and referring to Canada as the ‘51st state’, have been written off as typical bluster from a world leader who thinks he’s witty. Sadly, ignoring him has not made all this go away.

I want to very quickly address his argument over the trade surplus - it is true that the US buys more from Canada than Canada buys from the US. I would also point out, as former Prime Minister Stephen Harper does, that Canada sells its oil to the US at lower than world market value.

“It is true that Canada presently (sic) has a modest trade surplus with the United States. The reason we do is because you buy so much of our oil and gas.” he said on Standpoint with Gabe Groisman. “In fact, you buy it at a discount to world markets. It’s actually Canada that subsidizes the United States in this regard.”

Source - Globe2Go, the digital newspaper replica of The Globe and Mail Who’s taking advantage of whom?

Now, I don’t expect anything better from Mr. Trump, nor from his army of MAGATS - they’re too stupid, bigoted, and misinformed to know any better, and it would be unfair of Canadians to expect anything but the worst possible behaviour from them. Trump is a monkey who flings poo, nothing more, nothing less.

What is shocking to me is the silence from the rest of the US. Actually, it’s difficult to come up with the right word - shocking, hurtful, infuriating, humiliating - none of these quite cover it. We’re used to being taken for granted by the US. We’re used to you interfering in our politics. We’re used to the micro-aggressions where you make fun of our politeness and our accents. We’re used to you minimizing things like the Canadarm and Ken Taylor’s bravery in harbouring US embassy staff during the Iran hostage crisis. We even put up with a crap film that tried to make it look like we did nothing.

But I, and many other Canadians right now, are reeling with how little our relationship seems to mean to you. Our first responders who died helping after 9/11? The citizens of Gander, Newfoundland, who took in stranded US citizens right after 9/11? Our waterbombers and crews who are helping with the California wildfires? Listen, we don’t have to help out, and we don’t do it because we’re waiting for a parade, or a medal, we do it because it’s the right thing to do! We do it because that’s what allies do!

So to find out in this manner that the longevity of our allyship and the depth of our relationship apparently mean nothing to you really fucking hurts.

Canada is finding out the hard way what nations in South America, Central America, the Middle East, southeast Asia and Africa have known for years - the US cannot be trusted, even when they claim to be your ally.

And US citizens will just sit on their hands and do nothing while it happens.

2

And the portions are so small!

I’m not really sure what you want. I’m sure this can be stapled onto the list of grievances, but Trump’s statements about Canada are not actually the most high-profile things in the news here. And even if there was universal knowledge, I’m not sure what exactly we’re supposed to do about it.

3

Thank you for proving my point - our relationship means nothing to the US, even to the ones who would claim to be reasonable.

A few headlines saying things like “US treats Canada as badly as Russia treats Ukraine”, “International betrayal”, or “Twitler’s Anschluss” would be a start. Instead, crickets. Even when it’s pointed out to you…

4

I think the threats to Canada are unthinkable and insane. There should be cries of righteous outrage from Democrats and those few Republicans that do not embrace fascism. Canadians are the best friends and neighbors that you could ask for and to see them treated so shabbily is disgusting and reprehensible. I can only hope our Canadian friends do not suffer from the antics of the orange monster.

5

I can see why to you as a Canadian this is a Big Fucking Deal to you. But surely living in America you are aware of the constant barrage of Terrible Shit that is being poured down on Americans right now, and while 51% of the idiots here think it’s all great, 49% of us are worn down, scared, confused, and tired of ALL OF IT.

And, knowing that everything is a lie and Terrible Shit keeps happening despite our best efforts, the 49% of us really have no bandwidth left to be able to care too much about any of it.

This is NOT me saying nobody in America cares about our relationship with Canada. We certainly do! We definitely don’t want American/Canadian relations to go sour nor do we want any harm to come to the people of Canada.

It’s just one more thing that we’re shocked and appalled about and just don’t know what to say or do. Many of us our fighting for our lives. It’s not fun in America right now.

6

I hereby denounce the calumnious and scurrilous insinuations and threats by Donald John Trump regarding Canada’s sovereignty and place it on the record that I, an American, oppose them and would further oppose any actions commensurate with them.

And now I’ve Done Something, hooray, stick a bonnet on it and call it Laura Secord.

7

Trump is a bully who believes this is how to negotiate.
Like most bullies, he is not intelligent.

8

Those are some good chocolates!

The tariffs, political attacks, and threats to annex our neighbor, strategic ally, and largest (and arguably most important) trading partner are just part and parcel of the heinous and wanton evisceration of important international relationships and basic democratic institutions by Donald Trump and his boosters who seem to be fine with hobbling the United States as long as it lines their pockets and achieves Trump’s personal desire to exact retribution on everyone who he imagines has ever wrong him even if he has to burn the country to the waterline to achieve it.

Stranger

9

Now you see, I never “trusted” the US. Way back when, in a discussion with a friend about treaties and such, when the US was pushing back on something or other, I said, “When push comes to shove, treaties really only apply to the weaker power.” I had no doubts that, were the US to decide to abrogate the terms of some treaty or other, either in part or in full, Canada would have little power to do much about that.

But what I did trust was the US’ sense of their own best interest.

With Mexico and South America, what the US sees is crime, gangs, illegal immigrants, and drugs. Sure, there’s a lot more, but that’s what they see.

But with Canada, as you say, they used to see a lot more, and positive things, things that make them safer, and richer. It’s the fact that they’ve turned on all of that because they’re fixated on the piddling amount of drugs and number of migrants that enter via the Canadian border that surprised me.

10

I hate/condemn this but not sure exactly what I as a US citizen can actually do to make a difference.

Other than contacting my congress member(s) I am pretty much paralyzed.

11

I’ve seen many posters here apologizing for the Ochre Ogre and assuring our Canadian friends that we are sickened by his words, and asking that you not hate all of us because none of us voted for, or want, this. Every time I come across one I mentally say “amen”.
This American would protect you, if I could.

12

Strongly seconded. Canada deserves much, much better of us.

13

As a US citizen living Canada, I’m pretty damned embarrassed by his actions, and the extremely vocal and reprehensible~30% of the citizenry who support him.

I’m also really damned irritated by my Canadian MAGA neighbor.

14

I think that Trump’s threats to Canada are terrible! I’ll oppose his fascist imperialism to the utmost! I have lots of family in Canada and I know they are appalled by Trump as well. I have a lot of rage boiling inside of me against Trump, and expressing it may get me in trouble. Trump is a total waste of space and his total absence from the scene would be a welcome development.

15

Well, there’s the traditional “Send lawyers, guns, and money” approach.

16

US-ian checking in. I think Trump’s threats to Canada are stupid, horrible, damaging, and counter-productive. I always been proud that the US-Canada border was the longest undefended border in the world. Now I wouldn’t blame y’all building a big beautiful wall to keep us out.

I do draw some hope from the “Belle of the Ranch” YouTube channel. She points out that Canada is better positioned to win a trade war with the US than Trumpistan. Export tariffs on Canadian lumber into the US would bring up US housing prices, during an existing affordability crisis. Cars would get more expensive, both from parts and assembled cars that come in from Canada. The upper mid-west states get a lot of electricity from Canada, tariffs or price increases would hit those states hard. Those are states Trump needs politically. And might hurt them in the winter. More reasons why even the threat of US raising tariffs is stupid.

For years I’ve called the 49th parallel the sanity line, because south of it is crazy town. We 'Murricans really showed the world how inane and insane we are in the last election. I’m sorry y’all are getting any of the blowback.

17

I don’t think this is true. Even if an American makes a joke about Trump’s malicious bluster toward Canada, that American is likely also making jokes about Trump’s other ghastly words and actions. Insulting Panama, insulting Denmark, insulting anyone who’s not a straight white Christian male—we do tend to ridicule him for his hateful pathetic blatherings, even while recognizing that the power American politicians cede him makes him truly dangerous.

Invading? Bombing?

If that were to happen I think you would see Americans in the streets.

18

There’s a long list of countries Trump has been blustering about and truthfully, it’s hard to find the time and inclination to compose heartfelt apologies to them all for things we can’t control.

The best thing we can do for Canada, Mexico, Denmark, the EU and all our NATO allies is to not freak out over his narcissistic bluster and work to turn 2026 into a stunning defeat for Trump and his hangers-on.

If it makes you feel better, we also make fun of U.S. Southerners who are similarly so insistent about how nice and polite they are, you get the sense that they’ll whack you over the head if you don’t agree.
And most Americans never think about the accent thing unless you’re talking aboot NHL broadcasts.

19

The Economist magazine assures me that Canadians are world renowned for being reasonable. While I concede this is a micro-aggression, I’d also opine we could use more of it everywhere.

Americans are pretty insular and it’s unfortunate that Canada, Denmark, and our NATO allies are being treated like garbage by the President. It is and will be a daily shitshow and the Dems’ job should be to oppose everything, especially things that are unpopular. The President has a lot of arbitrary power in trade, unfortunately, but happily there is scope for lawsuits. I encourage my Canadian friends (and companies) to file them here. Today’s soldiers against fascism are lawyers.

I remember when the Canadians bailed the US out during the Iranian hostage crisis. I will keep an eye out for countries who best oppose global fascism, though I’m afraid most of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the US 49%.

Question for Republicans: why are we starting a trade war with Canada over a treaty that Trump negotiated?

20

As an American, my feeling is that Canada should arm themselves with nuclear missiles and nuclear mines to deter against a future invasion, immediately. And recognize that the US is hostis humani generis at this point.

It probably won’t keep them from being exterminated by fascist America in the long run, but at least they could make us bleed in the process instead of being rolled over and slaughtered.