Trump’s anti-Canada rhetoric unites a nation, reshaping cross-border ties

New York goes deep on the an unprecedented turn in relations with our neighbor to the north. Canadians have rallied en masse against perceived threats from the United States, with former President Donald Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and punitive tariffs transforming a historically close partnership into a heated rivalry.

Trump’s talk of annexation and a new wave of tariffs—50 percent on steel and aluminum, 25 percent on automobiles—have fueled a nationwide campaign to prioritize Canadian goods. Red maple-leaf symbols now designate domestic products in stores, and digital tools like Maple Scan help consumers verify “Canadianness.” Even government-run liquor stores have halted sales of American brands, echoing the public mood of economic defiance.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, yes brother of the former Toronto mayor, described a surge in patriotism: “There’s 41 million Canadians at a fever pitch right now doing everything they possibly can to support the cause. I’ve never seen patriotism like this,” he told a Canadian magazine.

Tourism and trade have plummeted. Car trips to the US are down 38 percent, flights 24 percent. Florida and California, prime destinations for Canadian “snowbirds,” are feeling the pinch as Canadians turn to other markets and even sell off second homes in protest. The Canadian passport office cut 800 jobs due to falling demand, illustrating the depth of the rupture.

Mark Carney’s surprise Liberal victory in April was attributed to his promise to stand up to Trump. He has since imposed $30 billion in counter-tariffs, targeting red-state-made goods and rallying the public around a new, robust national identity. “Trump is trying to break us so he can own us,” Carney argued on the campaign trail.

From Mike Myers’s now-iconic “CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE” hats to newfound pride in Canadian heritage and products, Trump’s hostility has paradoxically achieved what decades of quiet diplomacy did not: forging Canadian unity. Even regions known for separatist sentiment, like Quebec, report surges in national patriotism.