In a Fox News interview, U.S. President Donald Trump called Canada "one of the nastiest countries to deal with," after a series of trade disputes between the U.S. and its North American neighbor.
Trump's comments came in the wake of continuing trade tensions and the possibility of a national election in Canada, where the Liberal Party, led by leader Mark Carney, is likely to remain in power. Canada has introduced retaliatory tariffs against Trump's actions, and Carney has promised to leave them up until Trump retrenches. The U.S. President also attacked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reaction to trade issues as a challenging nation to deal with on the trade front.
Trump also lashed out at Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre during the interview, calling Poilievre "no friend" of his. Trump said he preferred dealing with Liberal Party leader Carney in an effort to resolve the trade wars with Ottawa, which Trump began.
Trump criticized Poilievre following a question by Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the polls that see the Liberal Party ahead of the Conservative Party in Canada. Trump replied, "I think it's simpler actually to negotiate with a Liberal and perhaps they will win, but I don't care. Does not matter to me whatsoever. The Conservative that is running is, foolishly, no friend of mine. Don't know him, but he spoke negatively. When he speaks negatively, could not care less."
Trump's remarks come after Carney won the contest to head the Liberal Party, defeating former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this month. Carney, a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, is set to soon call a national election and has positioned himself as a skilled crisis manager, pointing to his experience navigating large financial crises, such as the global financial crisis and Brexit.
Canada is now a primary target for Trump as he moves to redefine world trade patterns in his second term by targeting what he sees as U.S. partners' unfair trade practices.
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