What does U.S. President Donald Trump actually want from Canada?
While Trump says the U.S. doesn’t need Canadian products, he has also repeatedly expressed a desire to turn Canada into a “cherished” state. Before leaving office, former prime minister Justin Trudeau suggested the Trump administration was really after Canada’s natural wealth. Trump and U.S. officials are also pressuring Ottawa on a range of issues like dairy supply management, border security, drug trafficking and defence spending.
Trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada have, meanwhile, ground to a halt. When asked earlier this week about renewing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA) he championed during his first term, Trump said it was “irrelevant to me.”
