Summary
Donald Trump reiterated his claim that Canada would be better as the U.S.’s 51st state, citing trade imbalances and lower taxes.
He also announced new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada, despite a recent 30-day reprieve.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has not formally responded, but a government source said they await official confirmation.
Trump criticized Canada’s defense spending and border security, despite recent Canadian commitments.
Canada previously retaliated against similar tariffs in 2018 before a 2019 trade deal resolved the dispute.
My grandfather was in Alsace-Lorraine during the German occupation in WWII. Thanks to a warning from a neighboring village he barely escaped being drafted into the Nazi army and had to go into hiding, surviving in the forest on his own until the end of the war. He never admitted whether he ever had to kill someone or not. But my mother remembers hearing him scream every night from the nightmares.
Now I’m in Canada and I’m wondering if this kind of thing is going to become a family tradition.