But as Trump has repeated the comments on several occasions since then, some Canadian politicians have resorted to a sterner response.
But looking at Trump’s political history, there are certain reasons for his use of simple catchphrases when talking about politicians and political issues. In so far as his use of the tactic in domestic politics goes, such as his insulting nicknames for Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden, it’s clear the endgame is to damage his rivals’ reputation.
But he also uses the tactic at times in international affairs, including during his first presidency when he used “rocket man” to refer to North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un when condemning Kim’s missile tests.
In the case of Canada, which Trump has threatened with a 25 percent tariff unless the country does more to curb illegal immigration and drug flow into the United States, the rhetoric could be meant to dominate Canadian media cycles and get Canadians to “spin their wheels,” says Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto.
Wiseman said that a number of other proposals Trump has made—such as leaving NAFTA, buying Greenland, and selling Puerto Rico—have not come to fruition but have served other functions.
“He wants to control the news cycle, so he throws out there something that’s wild, and he knows that [the media] have to cover it,” Wiseman told The Epoch Times.
Conrad Winn, a political science professor at Carleton University, says Trump’s taunt is a reflection of the weakened state of the economy and military in Canada.
“That kind of contributes to the image of a 51st state,” Winn told The Epoch Times.
Winn says that for Trump, Canada is the “lowest-risk binational relationship” and he may be using it to send a message to other countries: “If the United States can belittle Canada, it can do that to you too.”
And part of this could also reflect how he sees Trudeau’s standing in Canada at this point, Winn says.
The Trudeau Liberals have been trailing in the polls, and there’s been growing division in the Liberal caucus with MPs asking for Trudeau to step down after Chrystia Freeland resigned from cabinet on Dec. 16.
“If Trudeau was popular, the Canadian electorate would be enraged. But he’s not popular, and so it’s low-risk for Trump [to continue his taunts],” Winn said.
“One additional [aspect] is that he is sending a message to the leadership of the Conservative Party in Canada that you better be a real ally and start spending on defence in roughly the NATO standard.”
Trump and Trudeau have had a rocky relationship at times in the past.
In 2019 during a NATO summit in London, England, Trudeau was caught on a hot mic appearing to mock Trump in front of other world leaders for having a lengthy press conference. Trump later reacted to this by calling Trudeau “two-faced.”
Trudeau also issued a statement criticizing Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riots, saying they were “incited” by Trump.
Tariffs
Amid Trump’s 25 percent tariffs threat, Ottawa has announced a $1.3 billion border plan to strengthen security, which includes creating a new North American task force targeting organized crime and drug trafficking and increasing funding for helicopters, drones, and surveillance towers.Trump has also long been critical of NATO countries that fail to meet the minimum spending goal of 2 percent of their GDP on defence. He said during a February 2024 rally that he wouldn’t defend NATO member countries from Russian attacks that didn’t meet the spending requirement.
Trump has repeatedly railed against countries that have a trade deficit with the United States, and during his last presidency he took steps to change the situation. He re-negotiated NAFTA with Canada and Mexico, requiring that 75 percent of auto components must come from North America—up from the previous 62.5 percent—to qualify for zero tariffs.
As part of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the new trilateral trade deal, Canada was forced to adjust its supply management scheme by providing new trade privileges for the United States in the dairy market. Trump has said he will invoke the six-year renegotiation provisions of CUSMA in 2026, and the three countries will decide whether to extend the deal or renegotiate it.
In 2018, during his first presidency, Trump imposed on most countries tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, leading Canada to respond in kind. Those tariffs were lifted in 2019, and while the Trump administration floated re-introducing the tariffs on Canadian aluminum in 2020, it did not follow through.
