Canada is making a costly mistake in managing its relationship with the United States. Mark Carney’s Davos speech, widely praised abroad, is the clearest recent example.
Canadians have been rattled by the aggressive approach the Trump administration has taken over the past year. There is no question that Canada needs to diversify trade and take concrete steps to protect its sovereignty.
But there is a growing tendency to treat antagonism toward Washington as a substitute for sovereignty. Publicly needling the U.S., or provoking its president, is increasingly framed as proof of strength or moral superiority. Those who question this approach are often treated as naïve at best, disloyal at worst.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Mark Carney:
“He rose to power on an anti-American, anti-Trump message, and that's not a great place to be when you're negotiating with an economy that is multiples larger than you are.”
— Harrison Faulkner (@Harry__Faulkner) January 28, 2026
