Canada’s Fake “Tough Guy” Acts Just Drove the Canadian Economy Even Further Into the Ground

Yesterday, Ontario premiere Doug Ford officially placed a 25% surcharge on electricity being supplied to the United States. This was a move that Ford had been threatening for several weeks now, attempting to leverage the fact that Ontario supplies approximately 1.5 million homes located in New York, Michigan, and Minnesota with electricity. However, what should have been obvious to anyone who understands how Trump works is that this would be sure to blow up in Ford’s face. And rapidly enough, it did.

This morning, President Trump announced his response to this surcharge via Truth Social: “Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on ‘Electricity’ coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th. Also, Canada must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous. I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area. This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada. If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Also, Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection. We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue.”

So thanks to failed Canadian leaders like Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau — and now Mark Carney, who will soon be coronated Prime Minister — Canada’s economy will be facing the pressure of: 25% tariffs on all goods not covered under the USMCA agreement; 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum; and any reciprocal tariffs at substantially increased rates on April 2nd.

So why should we be placing the blame on Justin Trudeau and all the other left-wing premieres who seem to not know fundamental things about the economy? After all, we were succinctly informed from both sides of the aisle that these were “Trump tariffs.” But as I’ve pointed out before, this is all part of the crafted narrative that the Canadian government wants you to believe. They want you to exclusively blame Trump and his policies and supporters for the economic turmoil Canada is about to experience. Just like we’re meant to believe the narrative that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was “totally unprovoked,” we’re meant to believe that these tariffs were as well. Yet as Trump aptly points out, Canada does have (and has for a few years) extremely high tariffs on dairy, ranging anywhere from 200-300% at times. Our banking system does operate very freely in the US with more of a capability to compete with theirs, compared to the heavy regulations their banks face when operating here in Canada. We still do not meet the required GDP percentage for defence spending, meaning the US is left footing most of the bill. Trump is justifiably upset at having to subsidize us which consistently leaves the US with the raw end of the deal. It seems that after years of the spoiled, unemployed adult still living in his parents basement, the parent is finally demanding that the adult either pays his fair share or moves out.

Let’s look at how we got to this point where we’re now preparing to face tariff upon tariff upon tariff. Mexico doesn’t seem to be facing as harsh economic treatment. Is it simply that Trump is just trying to collapse the Canadian economy so that we have no choice but to become the 51st state? Possibly, but I think it may not even go as deep as that. Since the tariffs were announced, there has not been a lot of posturing from the Mexican government. Sure, they announced there would be initial retaliatory tariffs. But there were no CNN or CBS or Fox interviews done with the purpose of embarrassing or attacking Trump in front of his own people, like Doug Ford did. There was no booing of the US national anthem, like was done at almost every sports game between the two countries — and was even encouraged by Trudeau himself. There were pretty much no specialized retaliations against the US, like removing American alcohol (that we’ve already paid for, I might add) from liquor shelves, or canceling a government contract with Starlink (again, a Doug Ford move), or targeting the US’s electricity flow. The Mexican government worked behind the scenes and off camera with Trump to negotiate better deals for themselves. This is why they got the first opportunities at a month-long tariff delay and tariff exceptions under the USMCA agreement. Canada was last to the party because we were too busy acting tough to Trump on TV. Anyone who knows how Trump operates understands the adage of being able to attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. Work with Trump and things may go well for you; work against him — and publicly do so — and things will definitely not go well for you. How many layoffs and how many economic disasters until Canada’s politicians realize this?

Canada’s economy won’t be able to sustain this type of pressure for an extended period of time. And once again, Trump is putting forward what he believes is a solution for that: “The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians’ taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, ‘O Canada,’ will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!”

Canadian sentiment is still largely against this proposal, but in time, that may change. Canada is in for a roller coaster ride this year as we dreadfully anticipate the arrival of a new and unelected Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who served as Trudeau’s economic advisor since 2020. Carney, Trudeau’s obvious choice for Liberal Party leader, will take on the mantle of PM whenever Trudeau officially resigns, thanks to the votes of 0.3% of the entire country. He has not garnered a single vote in a federal election and seemingly has no plans to call for one. While the face of the government may change, rest assured that the policies won’t. Pierre Poillievre is correct that Mark Carney is “Just Like Justin”; but unfortunately, so is Pierre Poillievre.

So as Canada’s elected — and unelected — officials work hard to destroy this country even more every day, while acting like brave and noble warriors armed with weapons that have “Orange Man Bad” slogans emblazoned on them, the average, blue-collar Canadian workers continue to suffer. The next election, whenever that may be, will determine if those Canadians have learned their lesson or not. But if Ontario’s recent election results unanimously re-electing Ford is any indicator, Canada’s hardships directly inflicted on them by their own government may have just begun.

Cover Photo Generated by Grok AI