Trump administration officials mocked Canada’s military on Monday as trade tensions between the two countries escalated, just as Canadian voters handed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party a sweep in three special elections.
What Bessent Said
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed the prospect of a “tit-for-tat” trade war with Canada during a CNBC interview, noting the Canadian economy is roughly 13 times smaller than the US economy. “What, they’re going to take their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sic them on us?” he said.
What Hegseth Did
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared an image on X appearing to show Royal Canadian Army cadets, adding only a Canadian flag emoji and the words “this is real,” per a report from Newsweek.
Carney’s Response
Bessent also said Prime Minister Carney “chose to walk away” from a trade deal, accusing him of turning the dispute into “a political shouting match” to boost his poll numbers. Carney has said the breakdown in talks happened because “last-minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal.”
The Backdrop
The mocking comes amid a broader trade dispute between the US and Canada, which has also included Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America.’
