Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that Republicans are quietly rooting for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as the trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa intensifies. Speaking at an event in New York on Monday night, Clinton said she doubts there is genuine enthusiasm among Senate Republicans for a trade war with Canada.
"I can't imagine that even in the Republican cloakroom in the Senate, there's much enthusiasm for going into a trade war with Canada," Clinton remarked. She pointed to the economic stakes, noting that 40 percent of Ohio's exports and 60 percent of Michigan's exports are destined for Canada, underlining the potential fallout for key industrial states.
Clinton went further, asserting that Republicans in those states and across the country are likely "secretly cheering" for Carney's firm stance against President Trump's trade policies. "I can't imagine that the Republicans in those states, or literally anywhere in the country, are enthusiastic about this nonsense that [President] Trump is promoting," she said, adding that they probably support Carney "for standing up to him and doing what he's now doing on behalf of his country."
The remarks come as Canada prepares to unveil retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, following Trump's recent escalation of the trade war. Carney has pledged to match American tariffs "dollar for dollar" after the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on over $20 billion in Canadian products over the weekend. Ottawa's countermeasures are scheduled to take effect on September 8.
On Monday, Carney indicated that Canada may adopt more targeted retaliation to shield its workers and businesses, especially as Trump threatens additional 50 percent tariffs on cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel starting next year. This marks another chapter in the fraught trade relationship between the two nations during Trump's second term.
Beyond tariffs, the relationship has been strained by Trump's repeated suggestions of annexing Canada as the 51st state, a notion that has further inflamed tensions. The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on Clinton's statements.
This is not the first time the trade spat has drawn political attention. Border-state Republicans are already feeling the heat as the dispute threatens local economies. Some GOP senators have also rebelled against Trump's tariff strategies, reflecting the political sensitivity of the issue.
As the trade war escalates, the economic and political consequences are becoming harder to ignore, with Clinton's comments underscoring the cross-party concerns about the impact on American workers and businesses.
