With the midterm elections looming and Americans plagued by the cost of virtually everything, President Donald Trump decided it’s a great time for a trade war with Canada.
You all know Canada, right? It’s the big place just north of us. Our close ally. The country known for being incredibly nice. That Canada.
Trump slapped 50% U.S. tariffs on a number of Canadian goods after trade negotiations fell apart Aug. 22. Then, on Aug. 24, Trump posted additional threats on social media, saying he’ll double tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts from Canada and adding: “WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!”
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Trump is doing more than Democrats to guarantee a Republican electoral wipeout in the midterms.
Trump's trade war with Canada will make the GOP's life more miserable
This trade war,
which the decidedly non-liberal Wall Street Journal editorial board noted “makes no economic or political sense,” already has Republicans brow-furrowingly concerned.
GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, in a tight fight to retain her seat in the midterms, was not pleased with Trump’s anti-Canada stance, writing on X: “The on-again/off-again trade talks between the U.S. and Canada lead to higher costs, risk, and uncertainty for Maine businesses. If the Administration proceeds with these tariffs, they will increase costs for Maine families, as most businesses will have no choice but to pass on the tariffs to their customers through higher prices.”
Yeah, duh, that’s exactly how tariffs work. Economists have been saying this since Trump started swinging tariffs around like a sugar-drunk kid with a sharp sword.
Former Vice President Mike Pence – you know, the guy Trump’s supporters wanted to hang on Jan. 6, 2021, – told CNN: “The last thing we need right now, as our economy is getting back on its feet, is a trade war with Canada.”
By now, Republicans should know that saying “The last thing we need right now …” prompts Trump to do the exact thing they don’t need. He’s like a twisted political genie who grants the opposite of the GOP’s wishes. And yet, they keep rubbing the bottle.
Trump administration doesn't seem to understand how trade works
Trump’s U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer went on CNBC on Aug. 24 and, with a straight face, said this about the trade war with Canada: “There's no possible way it can really affect U.S. well-being.”
Oh really? Greer might want to read this: “Canada has consistently been one of the top two trading partners for the United States. The two countries share a long history of supply chain integration, including especially in the automotive and textile industries and the energy sector.”
He shouldn’t have trouble finding it because IT’S PUBLISHED ON THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE’S WEBSITE! UNDER THE HEADING “CANADA”!!
Trump attacking Canada for no apparent reason is a gift for Democrats
Heading into the midterms, Democrats can confidently and accurately state that Trump’s tariff obsession has hurt American consumers. They can say the Iran war Trump started has made fuel prices outlandish and hurt American consumers. And they can say the trade war Trump is now starting with Canada will cause additional pain.
In an election that will clearly revolve around affordability, Trump keeps making the Republican Party’s already losing hand worse. I love that for them, personally. Part of me hopes Trump next announces a sliding-scale tax on all American puppies and kittens, with the highest rates applying to those who are the most adorable. Let’s see if we can push the president’s approval ratings into single digits and vote every lackey Republican out of office.
But in the meantime, Trump continues to make life harder on all of us, while ruining historic relationships with allies and making America a global pariah. It seems Republicans with an eye toward the November election might start cogitating the option of pushing back against Trump’s reckless behavior.
Hah! I’m kidding. That’ll never happen. They’d follow him off a Canadian cliff wearing stupid grins on their faces the whole way down.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's Canada trade war makes no sense. I love that for him. | Opinion
