Trump reinserts himself into Canadian politics, saying 'as a state, it works great'

Verity Stevenson · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 7:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: little than a infinitesimal ago

Days earlier the national predetermination and aft much than a week without commenting connected Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump resurfaced his 51st authorities rhetoric Wednesday afternoon.

The president was speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, erstwhile helium repeated his mendacious assertion that the United States "subsidizes" Canada to the tune of $200 cardinal a year. 

"I person to beryllium honest, arsenic a authorities it works great. As a nation — see the information that what they bash arsenic a nation, 95 per cent of what they bash is they bargain from america and they merchantability to us," Trump said. 

The comments travel arsenic the Canadian national predetermination had go little focused connected U.S. economical and sovereignty threats.

But Wednesday, Trump said that if Canada didn't commercialized with the U.S., "as Trudeau told me, they would cease to beryllium … which is true, certainly, arsenic a country."

Trump said helium called erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau "Governor Trudeau, affectionately."

And helium said helium was "working connected a deal" with Canada. 

"I'm moving good with Canada. We're doing precise well," Trump said. "I person spoken to the existent premier minister. He was very, precise nice. I volition accidental we had a mates of precise nice conversations — very good, but I don't deliberation it's due for maine to get progressive successful their election."

WATCH | Who bash Canadians deliberation tin basal up to Trump?: 

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed to CBC News that Liberal Leader Mark Carney lone had 1 speech with the U.S. president, a telephone telephone connected March 28. At the time, the 2 leaders described the telephone arsenic productive and Carney said that Trump had respected Canadian sovereignty. 

The Liberal person has been campaigning connected his quality to woody with Trump. 

The president was also asked Wednesday whether helium would summation tariffs connected Canadian goods, which truthful acold see levies connected vehicles and car parts, steel, aluminum, non-Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement compliant goods and an expected emergence successful tariffs connected Canadian softwood lumber. 

'At immoderate point, it could spell up'

"At immoderate point, it could spell up," Trump said of the tariffs, though it was unclear however broadly helium was speaking. Most of his comments were focused connected the car industry, but helium besides said nary car tariff increases are presently planned.

"All we're saying is we don't privation your cars, with each owed respect," the president said. "We don't request their oil. We don't request their lumber. We don't request their cars, truthful I said, 'Why are we doing this?' If we needed something, that would beryllium a antithetic subject."

The president repeated his $200-billion enactment doubly Wednesday. Since December, Trump has cited assorted figures, betwixt $100 cardinal US and $250 cardinal US, successful saying that the state "subsidizes" Canada. Journalists and commercialized experts person repeatedly debunked the assertion and said it's not wide wherever the U.S. president obtained specified a ample figure. 

Canada's commercialized shortage with the U.S. was $63 cardinal US last year, down from conscionable implicit $64 cardinal US in 2023. But Canadian tourists visiting the state — which borderline bureau information shows is dropping — makes up for immoderate of that gap. Trade deficits are besides not considered subsidies. 

It's besides acold from the archetypal clip the president says the U.S. "doesn't need" Canadian oil, gas, vehicles or lumber. In fact, helium started saying conscionable that successful his archetypal code to leaders astatine the World Economic Forum, 3 days aft his inauguration for his 2nd term.