Former prime minister Stephen Harper said late Wednesday that Canada must urgently pivot in the face of an erratic U.S. president and reduce its dependence on the American market to protect its sovereignty and the continued functioning of the economy.
Speaking at a gala in Ottawa to mark the 20 years since he formed a Conservative government, Harper said while he has “largely stayed silent” on U.S. aggression up until now, he feels compelled to speak out about what he described as an existential threat.
He said the U.S. has become “hostile” and its leader, President Donald Trump, is openly questioning Canadian sovereignty, launching threats and betraying trade deals, which poses a “serious challenge” that demands a muscular response.
I don’t know the Canada he’s asking us to defend and frankly we have much bigger problems than Trump.
