Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that he is re-establishing a special Cabinet committee on Canada-US ties to address Liberal concerns about another Donald Trump administration.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, the country’s finance minister, will chair the group, including the foreign affairs, public safety, and industry ministries.

“Following President Donald Trump’s election for a second term, the Cabinet Committee will focus on critical Canada-U.S. issues,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement Thursday.

During Trump’s first term, Canada saw his move to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and claimed that he was considering a 25% tariff on the car sector as an existential danger.

Trudeau contacted Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him, and the two talked about the new free trade agreement he signed with Canada and Mexico during his first term, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA.

Although Trump dubbed Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest” during his first term, relations between the two countries have remained strong under Biden’s government.

Trudeau and his Rhetoric

However, after four years of anti-MEGA rhetoric and using Trump as a political scapegoat, Trump’s administration has confirmed Trudeau’s worst concerns. During the last election campaign, Trump advocated 10% to 20% tariffs on imported goods, and in certain rallies, he indicated much larger percentages.

According to the AP reports, Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, believes Canada could expect further levies and pressure to increase its military spending.

According to NATO estimates, Canada will spend 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023, less than the 2% target that NATO countries set for themselves.

Trudeau stated that Canada would fulfill the alliance’s aim by 2032. Trump has asked NATO allies to increase their defense spending to reduce the United States burden and deter the alliance’s adversaries.

“I expect that the free trade deal will be slightly modified as it was during Trump’s first presidency and not dramatically,” according to Wiseman.

“Tariffs will harm the Canadian economy but not cripple it. Countervailing tariffs, the concerns of American business leaders, and Canada’s storehouse of key minerals are all factors to consider during negotiations.

Canada’s border trade

The Canadian government emphasizes that the United States and Canada are each other’s top trading partners, with approximately $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) in products and services crossing the border daily in 2023.

There is strong cooperation in defense, border security, and law enforcement, as well as a significant overlap in culture, traditions, and pastimes, such as shared baseball, hockey, basketball, and soccer leagues. Approximately 400,000 individuals cross the world’s longest international border daily, while an estimated 800,000 Canadians live in the United States.

Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international affairs at the University of Toronto, believes Canadians should be concerned about possibly aggressive tariff and trade policies.

“How would you feel if old Uncle Donald was feeling whimsical one morning and decided to do … oh, whatever he’d just heard on Fox News?” Bothwell stated.

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After former President Donald Trump’s election victory, a senior Hamas official issued a statement in which he called for the immediate cessation of Israel’s war against the group in Gaza and a strategy to achieve Palestinian statehood.

“The election of Trump as the 47th president of the USA is a private matter for the Americans,” the political bureau member and spokesperson for Hamas, Basem Naim, told The Washington Post.

Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self-sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

“The blind support for the Zionist entity ‘Israel’ and its fascist government, at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region, must stop immediately,” according to him.

During his tenure in office, Trump developed a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently involved in a multi-front war against the Iran-aligned Axis of Resistance. This conflict commenced with a large-scale Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.

An Israeli official informed Newsweek that “the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel has been a bipartisan feature of American politics since the founding of the Jewish state” when contacted for comment.

Netanyahu congratulates Trump

The Israeli official stated, “We are certain that this will persist.” “Going forward, we look forward to a strong working relationship with his administration to bring about a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East.”

President Joe Biden and Netanyahu disagreed regarding the war’s progression despite substantial U.S. military assistance. Consequently, Netanyahu was the first to congratulate Trump on “history’s greatest comeback.”

In his statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu declared, “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”

Afterward, Netanyahu conversed with Trump. The Israeli side characterized the conversation as a “warm and cordial” exchange in which the two “agreed to work together for Israel’s security and also discussed the Iranian threat.”

The Israel-Hamas war, which has since expanded to include an Israeli air and land offensive against the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, strikes from other Axis of Resistance factions in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and even direct exchanges of strikes between Israel and Iran, has served as a polarizing foreign policy issue in the United States.

Biden has been accused by Israel supporters of not doing enough to aid the U.S. ally and by pro-Palestinian factions of failing to sufficiently rein in Netanyahu, despite his continued provision of military assistance to Israel and his advocacy for greater safeguards to mitigate civilian harm.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign largely mirrored the Biden administration’s stance, calling for peace and expressing empathy for the plight of civilians entangled in the conflict. However, she rejected any demands to withhold arms sales to Israel.

Hamas Issues Statement

Additionally, Hamas issued a statement on Wednesday that urged the United States to “cease providing military support and political cover to the Zionist entity and to recognize the legitimate rights of our people.” The statement also called for an end to Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.

“The American president-elect is required to listen to the voices that have been raised from American society itself for more than a year regarding the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip,” according to the statement, “rejecting the occupation and genocide, and objecting to support and bias toward the Zionist entity.”

On Wednesday, Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, congratulated Trump on his election victory. Abbas is the leader of the West Bank-based government that competes with Hamas, which is based in Gaza.

The Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA) released a statement in which Abbas expressed “his aspiration to collaborate with President Trump to promote peace and security in the region” and underscored “the dedication of our people to the pursuit of statehood, self-determination, and freedom in compliance with international law.”

Abbas was reported to have said, “We will remain steadfast in our commitment to peace,” and we are confident that under your leadership, the United States will support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”

While in office, both Hamas and Abbas had frequently denounced Trump’s Middle East policies, such as his 2018 decision to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem and his 2020 proposal to resolve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Abraham Accords

The proposal, which was widely referred to as the “deal of the century,” would have conferred Israel control over occupied areas along the Jordanian border and internationally unrecognized Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions would be disarmed, Palestinians would acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state, refrain from participating in any international organizations without Israeli consent, and receive the right to access international investments and a portion of the desert territory along the Israel-Egypt border.

In addition, the proposition proposed the construction of a tunnel connecting Gaza and the West Bank, one of its most ambitious moves.

Even though the Arab world did not support the plan, Trump successfully oversaw the Abraham Accords later that year, establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

The U.S. withdrawal from a multilateral nuclear agreement in 2018 and the U.S. killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force chief Major General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in 2020 were also significant factors in the sharp increase in tensions between Washington and Tehran that Trump oversaw.

The Republican leader has since accused Biden and Harris of being too lenient toward Iran and has consistently maintained that the war in Hamas would not have occurred under his presidency. In the meantime, Trump has accused his Democratic opponents of attempting to incite a more extensive conflict in the Middle East, a course of action that he has pledged to avoid.

Trump stated during his election night victory speech, “We desire a robust and capable military, and we would prefer not to employ it.” He also said, “You are aware that we did not experience any wars for four years.” There were no conflicts. Except for the fact that we defeated ISIS, we did so in record time.

“They predicted that he would initiate a conflict.” “I will not initiate a war,” Trump declared in the early hours of Wednesday. “I’m going to stop wars.”

Source: Newsweek

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Geoffrey Thomas is a seasoned staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. With his sharp writing skills and deep understanding of SEO, he consistently delivers high-quality, engaging content that resonates with readers. Thomas' articles are well-researched, informative, and written in a clear, concise style that keeps audiences hooked. His ability to craft compelling narratives while seamlessly incorporating relevant keywords has made him a valuable asset to the VORNews team.

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On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory, saying the friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. However, there is no friendship between the two leaders.

During Trump’s previous presidency, the two leaders engaged in a series of disagreements regarding numerous matters. Trump and Trudeau’s relationship is not particularly cordial, as evidenced by their involvement in a verbal conflict and their significant policy changes that have had a detrimental impact on Canada’s economy.

Trump has referred to Trudeau as a “far-left lunatic” and “two-faced,” and Trudeau once appeared to ridicule Trump at a NATO leaders’ meeting in 2019.

Donald Trump’s significant victory in the presidential election is unfavorable to Justin Trudeau, who has disparaged Trump for the past four years, accusing him of everything from racism to homophobia to advance his political position.

Trudeau has been brazenly exploiting Trump and Trumpism as a bogeyman purportedly concealed within the Conservative movement.

In December, Trudeau stated to The Canadian Press, “What we are witnessing from these MAGA conservatives is an approach that undermines fundamental rights.”

Trudeau declared in January that Canada would experience a “regression” if another Trump presidency were to occur.

Now that Trump has returned, Trudeau’s remarks will be remembered, which could result in significant difficulties for the prime minister, who is already grappling with a leadership crisis.

Trudeau’s previous statements may impede the establishment of a robust, rekindled relationship with the impending Trump administration, which will ultimately be detrimental to Canadians.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland emphasized the “enduring relationships—I would even say even friendships” that Canadian officials have with their US counterparts to anticipate potential retaliation.

“Canada will be prosperous, Canadians will be safe and our sovereign identity will be secure as we work with this newly elected administration,” according to her.

Trump’s strained relationship with Justin Trudeau could further exacerbate Canada’s already challenging circumstances in terms of its social, economic, and environmental well-being.

Trudeau asserts that Canada is prepared for a second Donald Trump presidency despite the prevailing uncertainty regarding his strategy for managing Trump’s forthcoming agenda.

Nevertheless, the primary campaign issues are the declining economy and the recent rapid increase in the cost of living in Canada. These issues occur in diplomatic disputes with China and India, which have impeded efforts to diversify trade.

Trump’s victory could significantly influence Canadian politics by raising the Liberals’ hysteria for the upcoming year until the elections.

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Geoff Thomas

Geoffrey Thomas is a seasoned staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. With his sharp writing skills and deep understanding of SEO, he consistently delivers high-quality, engaging content that resonates with readers. Thomas' articles are well-researched, informative, and written in a clear, concise style that keeps audiences hooked. His ability to craft compelling narratives while seamlessly incorporating relevant keywords has made him a valuable asset to the VORNews team.

See Full Bio