Freeland: Trump has launched a ‘direct attack on our sovereignty’

The woman hoping to be Canada’s next PM has warned the US will be ‘astonished’ at Ottawa’s response to tariffs, as Trump says they would be lifted if her country became the 51st state.

Donald Trump speaks to reporters. Picture: AFP.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s former finance minister who is seeking to replace Justin Trudeau as the country’s next leader, says Donald Trump has committed a “betrayal of America’s closest friend – of your ally, your neighbour, your best partner in the whole world.”

The condemnation from Ms Freeland came as the US President posted comments on his Truth Social platform making clear that Canada would not face any tariffs if it agreed to join with America as the 51st state.

Mr Trump also acknowledged that his objective of making America great again could come at a price and that pain would be involved in the realisation of his vision of a new “golden age” for the United States.

“The USA has major deficits with Canada, Mexico, and China (and almost all countries!), owes 36 Trillion Dollars, and we’re not going to be the “Stupid Country” any longer,” he said. “MAKE YOUR PRODUCT IN THE USA AND THERE ARE NO TARIFFS!”

“THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”

Ms Freeland, whose resignation in December forced the Canadian government into a political crisis and led to Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he was stepping down from the top job, told CNN on Sunday morning local time that Donald Trump had launched a “direct attack on our sovereignty.”

“Americans are going to be astonished by the Canadian response,” she said. “We’re hurt, for sure, because we’re your friends and neighbours. But, most of all, we’re angry and we are united and resolute.”

“Our retaliation is going to cost Americans’ jobs,” she said. “It’s completely ridiculous. We do not want to do this.”

Ms Freeland said that automotive manufacturers would be particularly hard hit by the unfolding trade war because a “part in a car crosses the border six to eight times before that car is finished.”

“Think about what a tariff war does to Detroit,” Ms Freeland said. “This is going to be a very bad day for the stock market which we know the President cares about a lot.”

She also took aim at the pretext for Mr Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Canada as “totally ludicrous,” and said there was little fentanyl pouring in to America from across the northern border.

Ms Freeland said Canada was the largest market for the United States and it made little sense “to be punching us in the face,” warning that America’s tariffs on Canada were “self harming.”

“You’re putting a tariff on the oil and gas that we sell you that is going to make prices at the pump, prices at grocery stories a lot higher,” she said. “This matters to us so much more than it matters to you. Our very sovereignty is at stake.

“Our preference and our hope is that you guys are going to come to your senses,” she said. “Our trade should be governed by the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) which we negotiated with President Trump,” she said. “When we signed that deal, he said it was the best trade deal ever.”

Another option was a Canadian boycott of America goods, with Ms Freeland saying this was “already happening across the country.”

“Americans have to understand how hurt and, frankly, how furious Canadians are,” she said. “Regular Canadians across the country are coming up with ways to stand for Canada, to fight for Canada, to defend Canada,” she said. “We are going to use all the tools in our toolbox … We are happy to work together, but it’s got to be a two-way street.”

She said the world would see “total strength, total unity, and a very smart surgical, strategic approach” from Canada in response to the tariff actions taken by Mr Trump.

“The path the US is on right now is a lose/lose path,” she said. “At the end of the day you cannot defy the laws of economics.

“The people who are going to suffer from this the most are Americans – including the Americans who voted for Trump. I mean, the President has decided now to make gas in the United States more expensive.”

However, Mr Trump doubled down on his tariffs on Sunday morning local time and posted on his Truth Social platform that America paid “hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why?”

“There is no reason. We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true!”

Mr Trump repeated his argument that “Canada should become our Cherished 51st State” and said that it would face “much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!”