Donald Trump’s second administration is filling up with a few of his most loyal supporters — and most of the individuals touchdown prime jobs have been essential of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and safety at Canada’s border.
One skilled says there aren’t many Canadian allies, to this point, within the president-elect’s courtroom.
“I do not see a complete lot of pals of Canada in there,” mentioned Fen Hampson, a professor of worldwide affairs at Carleton College in Ottawa and co-chair of the Professional Group on Canada-U.S. Relations.
Because the Republican chief begins making essential choices about his administration, designations for overseas coverage and border positions have despatched indicators to Canada, and the remainder of the world, about America’s path ahead.
WATCH | Trump names Elon Musk, MAGA hardliners to administration
Trump names Elon Musk, extra MAGA hardliners to administration
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump continues to spherical out his staff with hardline MAGA supporters, together with Mike Waltz, a Florida congressman and outspoken Justin Trudeau critic, Fox Information host Pete Hegseth, and entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Former Trump rival Marco Rubio is anticipated to be named Secretary of State.
Trump campaigned on imposing a minimal 10 per cent across-the-board import tariff. A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report suggests that will shrink the Canadian economic system, leading to round $30 billion per yr in financial prices.
The president-elect can also be essential of giving assist to Ukraine in its struggle in opposition to Russian aggression and has attacked the United Nations, each issues the Liberal authorities in Canada strongly backs.
Stephen Miller, who will be part of Trump’s White Home as deputy chief of workers for coverage, final yr known as Canada “more and more authoritarian and despotic” and has labelled its chief “far-left Trudeau.”
Trump tapped Mike Waltz to be nationwide safety adviser amid growing geopolitical instability. He mentioned in a press release Tuesday that Waltz “might be an amazing champion of our pursuit of Peace by means of Power!”
Waltz, a three-term congressman from Florida, has repeatedly slammed Trudeau on social media, notably over his dealing with of points associated to China.
He additionally not too long ago weighed in on the looming Canadian election, posting on X that Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre was going to “ship Trudeau packing in 2025” and “begin digging Canada out of the progressive mess it is in.”
Like Trump, Waltz has been essential of NATO members that do not meet defence spending targets — one thing Canada just isn’t doing, and will not do for years.
Trudeau promised to fulfill the goal of spending the equal of two per cent of GDP on defence by 2032.
Trump made a slew of bulletins Tuesday night and most of the individuals becoming a member of his internal circle have a historical past of lambasting Trudeau.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee throughout a roundtable on the Drexelbrook Catering & Occasion Middle, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Drexel Hill, Pa. (AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Mike Huckabee, the following U.S. ambassador to Israel, has repeatedly taken jabs at Trudeau in social media posts, criticizing him over the blackface scandal and calling him two-faced.
Elon Musk, who has change into considered one of Trump’s closest allies, will co-lead a brand new “Division of Authorities Effectivity.” It is not an precise authorities company and he is not going to change into a federal employee.
Musk has used X, the platform he owns, to say Trudeau is attempting to crush free speech, referencing Canada’s On-line Streaming Act. He additionally posted earlier this month that the prime minister “might be gone within the upcoming election.”
Immigration and border safety have been a key focus for Republicans in the course of the election and quite a few key appointees have their eyes to the north.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, has referred to Canada’s border as an excessive level of vulnerability. He has repeatedly asserted in interviews that extra individuals on the terrorism watch checklist are caught attempting to enter the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico. In a radio interview final yr, he mentioned the northern border’s in a “dangerous, dangerous place.”
He is additionally no fan of Trudeau. “It’s worthwhile to discover a higher man. He is horrible,” Homan instructed the outlet Reality North at a conservative convention earlier this yr.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a vocal critic of China, has been named Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State.
Rubio has pointed to considerations in regards to the Canada-U.S. border. He not too long ago blasted Canada’s transfer to just accept Palestinian refugees, claiming “terrorists and identified criminals proceed to stream throughout U.S. land borders, together with from Canada.”
Trump’s selection for ambassador to the United Nations, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, has additionally targeted on the border with Canada.
Stefanik, as a member of the Northern Border Safety Caucus, known as for Homeland Safety to safe the border, claiming there had been a rise in human and drug trafficking.
“We should defend our kids from these harmful unlawful immigrants who’re pouring throughout our northern border in report numbers,” she posted on X final month.
Stefanik has little overseas coverage expertise, however Trump described her as a “sensible America First fighter.” She repeatedly denounced the UN, saying the worldwide group is antisemitic for its criticism of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. questions former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he testifies earlier than the Home Oversight Choose Subcommittee’s listening to on the Coronavirus Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photograph/Cliff Owen) (Cliff Owen/The Related Press)
Longtime Trump loyalist Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s governor, has been chosen to run Homeland Safety. She was on the shortlist to be vice-president till controversy erupted over an anecdote in her e-book about taking pictures a canine.
“She would not appear to have very heat emotions (towards Canada),” Hampson mentioned
Final yr, she claimed to be having conversations with a Canadian family-owned enterprise seeking to relocate to her state due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
However Noem has additionally mentioned that the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Settlement, negotiated underneath the primary Trump administration, was “a serious win.”
The trilateral settlement is up for evaluate in 2026.
Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former commerce consultant, has been a casual adviser for the president-elect’s transition and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland mentioned they continue to be in touch.
He has been touted by analysts as an choice for a number of jobs in Trump’s second administration, together with a return to the commerce file, although Hampson mentioned he’s unlikely to return to the commerce consultant position.
Hampson mentioned there are nonetheless important questions on how sweeping the tariffs could possibly be and if there might be carve-outs for industries like power. Trump and his staff can also grasp the tariff risk over upcoming commerce negotiations.
“Is he going to stay us with a tariff Day 1 or shortly after?” Hampson requested.
Some consultants have known as for Canada to stay calm and give attention to alternatives reasonably than fears. Others have known as for daring motion and inventive considering.
Canada revived a cupboard committee on Canada-U.S. relations slightly greater than 24 hours after Trump’s win was secured.
Trudeau mentioned Tuesday in Fredericton that underneath the primary Trump presidency, Canada efficiently negotiated the trilateral commerce deal by demonstrating that the nation’s pursuits and economies are aligned.
“That’s going to proceed to be the case,” he mentioned.
