Trump administration officials mocked Canada and its military capabilities on Monday as tensions between the neighboring countries escalated over their trade dispute, just as Canadian voters handed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party a sweep in three special elections. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took aim at Canada’s military during an interview with CNBC on Monday, dismissing the prospect of a “tit-for-tat” trade war with a country whose economy he said was 13 times smaller than that of the United States. How are we going to be at war with Canada?” Bessent said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth separately shared an image on X that appeared to be associated with the Royal Canadian Army cadets, including a young person wearing a red beret standing alongside another in military uniform. Hegseth added only a Canadian flag emoji and the words “this is real.” The comments are the latest jabs at Canada amid a rapidly deteriorating relationship between the longtime allies. Carney suspended trade negotiations with Washington in August, saying last-minute U.S. demands were “unfair” and “uneconomic,” while Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on hundreds of Canadian goods.
Trump has also ordered the U.S. government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” another move rejected by Canadian officials. Meanwhile, Canadian voters appeared to deliver an endorsement for Carney's approach against Trump on Monday, with the Liberals winning all three special elections held in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. This is a developing story - more to follow.
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