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Opinion: Trump’s Relationship With Canada Starts Rocky As Rick Santorum Visits Canada And Slams Liberal Leadership

By Christine Beswick
Published on: 07:17 PST, Nov 18, 2016

It’s almost as if Donald Trump believes that because he is the President-elect of one country, all other countries must bow to his plans. At least this was the impression left by American Republican Rick Santorum on a recent visit to Canada on behalf of Donald Trump.

The National Post reported that on a recent visit to Canada, American Republican and now-Trump aide Rick Santorum referred to Canadian leadership as “a bunch of Liberals” and expressed unhappiness over the fact that Canada has policies that Republicans generally don’t like: climate change, trade, and immigration.

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, was specifically Santorum’s concern, after Trudeau reportedly voiced he would be willing to re-write NAFTA with Trump, in the wake of the election.

Santorum’s reaction didn’t go over very well with the “bunch of liberals” in Canada, who for the majority’s part, have never been fond of Santorum’s methods.

It’s a peculiar note on which to start a foreign policy relationship. Rick Santorum said, when United States is strong, so will Canada be. This suggests that Santorum thinks Canada is currently weak, and, needs America, and further, needs Trump policy, in order for Canada to be strong.

In fact, Canada is not weaker and does not need Trump policy, which world-wide is seen as fascist, bigoted, and misogynistic. This is precisely why Canada’s immigration site crashed on election night. Americans panicked and wanted to flee at the very thought of a Trump presidency.

Foreign policy relationships aren’t looking good for America in Ireland right now either for that matter. This week, the Irish Senate reportedly got heated wondering what to do about the “fascist monster” in America, with one Irish Senator saying “we are at an international crossroads…what is happening is appalling…it has echoes of the 1930’s.” Adolf Hilter and the Nazi regime began rising to power in 1933.

But when it comes to Canada, of all countries, Santorum might be well-advised at staying tight-lipped about Republican policy in Liberal land, while being hosted by the country. At least for now.

To insult Canada in a time of transition for America is not the best idea. To suggest that the “bunch of Liberals” in Canada need to become more like a newly “red” America, is also not the best idea, for Santorum.

It’s also not likely to happen anytime soon. After ten years of a Conservative leadership, Liberal leader Prime Minister Trudeau was the change maker for Canada in 2015.

Additionally, Santorum’s comments suggest he does not know much about the country which he is slamming. Canada is in many ways stronger than America. Canada has a stronger middle class, is reputed to have better health care and education, is an equal opportunity employer.

Canada is very liberal, and will be that way for a while, if not permanently. At least in the belief system. Pew Research says that 80 percent of Canadians believe that society should accept homosexuals, while only 60 percent of Americans believe that.

And, Canada has a leader that believes climate change is a thing.

Canada also has greater economic freedom than America, being listed number 6 on country rankings according to the United States based Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom. United States is ranked at number 11.

And then there is hockey.

Canada also has stronger beer. Perhaps that is the real reason the immigration website crashed on election night?

With the exception of the Canadian staples of hockey and stronger beer, Canada has all of these things, and more, because of the “bunch of Liberals” at the helm.

Further, nobody is looking at Canada right now and wincing. Nobody is looking to flee the country because of the “bunch of Liberals” running Canada right now.

America can not say any of these things. For Rick Santorum to visit Canada, and suggest America could help us be stronger, leaves a bad taste in the mouth of Canadians. It leaves many saying, “Work on your own country first, we are doing just fine, thank you.”

The National Post reports that Rick Santorum also called Prime Minister Trudeau “not wise,” after Trudeau announced he would be willing to re-negotiate NAFTA.

Rick Santorum reportedly claimed, while being hosted by Canada, that Canadian leadership is betraying the middle class of Canada with their “green agenda and immigrant agenda.”

Global News reported this Spring when the United Nations applauded Canada for leading the way in the world when it came to welcoming Syrian refugees with open arms. It was one of the things Trudeau ran on, and won on. Canada likes leading in the area of love and acceptance world-wide and, immigration.

Not only did Trudeau run on it, and win on it, he was personally at the airport when the first flight of Syrian refugees arrived to greet them personally, and help them find winter coats. It will be one of his legacies, and one that is currently unmatched in the world.

It was not only one of his proudest moments, but one of Canada’s proudest moments in a very long time. Second only for many to that time Prime Minister Trudeau picked a cabinet that was 50 percent women when he took office, “Because it’s 2015.”

But Rick Santorum is worried for Canadians. He told the National Post,

“You’re governed by a bunch of liberals up here who have different agendas. They have the green agenda. They have an immigration agenda. They have agendas that are not the Trump agenda – because they are not in the best interests of working people in Canada and they’re not in the best interests of working people in the United States.”

Canada does have a different agenda, because Canada is a different country. Rick Santorum should look at his own country first.

Canada does not need Rick Santorum’s concern. Canada is very happy to be leading the world in a green agenda, and an immigration agenda, and by the looks of it, will continue to lead the world on those agendas for at least four more years.

Canada doesn’t actually implement laws in order to improve the lives of Americans, or Rick Santorum’s personal agenda. Their agenda is a Canadian agenda.

Rick Santorum also told the National Post that he thinks Canada should look at a Trump presidency as an opportunity, not a source of concern. It will in fact be an opportunity for Canada, if all of the Americans that say they are moving here because of Trump, do in fact move to Canada.

With the American dollar in its current position, that will be a lovely improvement and opportunity for the already thriving Canadian economy, courtesy of Mr. Trump.

The shocking comments by Rick Santorum, as Canada graciously hosted him, are of no surprise, given Donald Trump recently called Prime Minister Trudeau, “Canada’s worst President yet.” That moment led to some giggles on Twitter. Canada does not have a President, that’s why he is called Prime Minister Trudeau. Hopefully, Donald Trump has been versed on this since.

And, since the American election, Canadians have been drawing comparisons between the countries openly. The comparisons are not often giving America high favorability ratings.

The relationship is off to a rocky start, which is sad. Canadians have always had a soft spot for Americans, and, have felt that reciprocated from Americans, particularly while President Obama has been in office.

And the Toronto Star reports, that Prime Minister Trudeau is equally concerned, or, rather, as “traumatized” according to the Star, by the notion of a Trump presidency as the majority of Canada is. The Toronto Star reports that, as far as Trudeau is concerned, “he and his government are no less traumatized by the result of the American election than the majority of Canadians.”

The Star says, there are few of the Prime Minister’s caucus, and even on the opposition, that, “did not find the president-elect campaign’s abhorrent.” The Star calls this Canadian concern, “unprecedented in the modern history of the two countries.”

It was just a few months ago when President Obama received a standing ovation by Canadian Parliament, as Canadians chanted “four more years” expressing their wishes that President Obama could continue as the leader of the free world.

And now, Rick Santorum is in Canada slamming the “bunch of liberals” in their own homeland. It’s a rocky start, mostly, for America. Canada is concerned, but doing just fine thanks to those “bunch of liberals.”

Trump will have to contend with the reality that the likelihood of a Parliament that collectively stood for President Obama bowing to a Republican American regime is unlikely.

But at least Canada has strong beer, which, despite a rocky start in these times of trauma and transition, Canada will still happily share a pint of with their American brothers and sisters any day of the week. That will never change.

[Feature Image by Alex Brandon/AP Images]

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