US President Donald Trump, in a Tuesday Fox News interview, called Canada "a nasty country to deal with" amid a tariff war sparked by his administration’s 25% tariffs on Canadian goods and 10% on energy exports in March 2025. Canada retaliated with 25% tariffs on $30 billion of U.S. imports. Trump targeted former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, succeeded by Mark Carney on March 9, saying, "Now, this was Trudeau—good old Justin. I call him 'Governor Trudeau.' His people weren’t telling the truth." The remarks follow Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada as the "51st U.S. state," which Ottawa has rejected.
The tariff dispute intensified after Trump’s second term began in January 2025, reversing years of stable U.S.-Canada trade under NAFTA’s successor, the USMCA. Canada, the U.S.’s second-largest trading partner, exports 75% of its goods south, while the U.S. relies on Canadian oil and steel. Trudeau, before stepping down, accused Trump of trying to cripple Canada’s economy, a charge Trump likely references as dishonest.
Trump also dismissed Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who leads Canada’s opposition and polls ahead of Carney’s Liberals for the federal election due by October 20. "The Conservative that’s running is, stupidly, no friend of mine. I don’t know him, but he said negative things," Trump said. Poilievre has vowed to protect Canadian interests against Trump’s policies. When Ingraham suggested Trump’s actions might boost the Liberals, Trump replied, "I think it’s easier to deal with a Liberal. Maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t care."
Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor, took over the Liberals after Trudeau’s exit, revitalizing a party in power since 2015 but trailing until recently. Polls now show the Liberals gaining ground, some even leading the Conservatives. The tariff war and Trump’s rhetoric have fueled Canadian unity, complicating his claim of easier Liberal negotiations as economic tensions persist.