A Canadian lawmaker who ripped Donald Trump in a speech on the floor of the Canadian House of Commons doubled down on his criticism Friday following the president-elect’s attacks and tariff threats toward the country.
Charlie Angus, a member of the Canadian Parliament, told Ben Meiselas of the MeidasTouch Network that his response was a “really simple” matter of “standing up and saying no.”
“We’re going to have tough negotiations, fair play. But this kind of dismissive, idiotic behavior? I mean, he’s a juvenile,” Angus said.
His comments arrive after Trump, who has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, has blamed both countries for migrants and fentanyl “pouring” into the states.
The president-elect, who met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate last month, reportedly suggested that Canada could become the “51st state” at the meeting should his tariffs kill its economy in a remark that got nervous laughter out of Trudeau and others.
On Monday, he took to his Truth Social platform where he mocked Trudeau by referring to him as the “governor” of the “great state of Canada.”
Canadian officials have hit back at Trump’s tariff threats in response.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province and home to one of the world’s largest alcoholic beverage purchasers, could bar its liquor control board from buying U.S.-made alcohol and also restrict electricity exports if Trump imposes the tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official in the province said Thursday.
Angus, in his remarks on the floor of the Canadian House of Commons on Tuesday, noted that Canada has previously “stood up” to America despite the countries being “neighbors.”
“We’re in a different situation with Donald Trump, a convicted predator who’s seriously undermining the democratic process in the United States and he thinks he can just push us around. He insults us,” Angus said.
He later added, “We need to stand up to Donald Trump. Not to be boasting like he boasts and not to be threatening like he threatens but to stand for Canadian values. That, no, we will counter falsehood with truth. That we will be a good neighbor, that we will protect our border but that we will not be pushed around.”
Angus told Meiselas that Canadians are “not going to be slapped around like this” by Trump.
“I think there’s a tradition in Canada of not wanting to be openly confrontive, which is fair — I think that’s who we are. But Donald Trump is a different kind of animal. He’s playing for the rage algorithms and I don’t think we should allow him that free rein,” he said.
He later invited Trump to come up to Canada “anytime in the winter.”
“Donald, try to drive our roads. Try to win an argument with any woman in Canada. We’re pretty tough and resilient people,” he said.
Check out more of Angus’ interview on the MeidasTouch Network below.