Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to replace “Lake Ontario” with “Lake America” in federal maps, contracts, documents, and communications within 30 days. The order can’t force Canada, international organizations, private mapmakers, state governments, or ordinary people to follow along. It…
The U.S.-Canada Tariff Dispute and Its Economic Stakes
For two countries that share the world’s longest international border, the United States and Canada are doing a remarkable impression of neighbors arguing over whose tree dropped leaves into whose yard. Unfortunately, this disagreement involves 50 percent tariffs, billions of dollars in trade, and enough economic collateral damage to make an ordinary property-line dispute look…
Hoekstra & the Strains in U.S.–Canada Relations
The diplomatic temperature between the United States and Canada was already running warm before a growing number of Canadians decided that Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador in Ottawa, should be shown the door. An official House of Commons petition, opened July 21 and sponsored by Green Party MP Elizabeth May, has collected more than 105,000…
Trump’s New Canada Tariffs and the Debate Over Fair Trade
The latest chapter in the increasingly tense U.S.-Canada relationship involves trade barriers, dairy quotas, provincial liquor bans, automobile policy, and, hovering strangely in the background, wildfire smoke. President Trump has signed three proclamations imposing additional 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian imports beginning August 19. The duties will affect nearly $20 billion in…
Trump’s 10% Tariff Threat Over Ontario’s Reagan Ad: Smart Leverage or Overreaction?
Sometimes it feels like President Trump is one headline away from dropping a tariff. This weekend’s flare-up with Canada proves the point. While flying aboard Air Force One to Malaysia, Trump posted on Truth Social that he’s planning to raise tariffs on Canadian goods by another 10%. The reason? A television ad from the province…
When Tweets Trump Tact: A Lesson in Cooling Off Before Calling Out
President Trump has never been accused of underreacting, and his latest dust-up with Canada proves the point. When an ad popped up north of the border quoting Ronald Reagan about “the dangers of protectionism,” Trump slammed the brakes on trade talks faster than you can say “NAFTA.” There was just one small problem: the ad…
Canada Blinks First
Earlier today, just hours before Canada was set to slap a controversial 3% Digital Services Tax (DST) on American tech giants, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration hit the emergency brakes. And the reason couldn’t be clearer: President Trump, true to form, laid down the law. He froze all trade negotiations and threatened swift retaliatory tariffs,…
How Trump’s Bluster Lost Greenland — And How to Fix It
Vice President Vance’s recent remarks while speaking at the Pituffik Space Base provided some rare reassurance: he acknowledged Greenland’s right to self-determination and made it clear that the United States would not forcibly annex the territory. That’s a crucial point, and credit where it’s due — Vance’s attempt to clarify that position was wise and…
Trump’s Tariff Turmoil: How Uncertainty is Hurting American Businesses and Consumers
If there’s one thing businesses hate more than taxes, regulations, or even competition, it’s uncertainty. They can adapt to challenges, but they need a stable economic environment to plan, invest, and grow. Unfortunately, President Trump’s erratic handling of tariffs—especially on Canadian steel and aluminum—is introducing exactly the kind of unpredictability that disrupts economic growth. On…
Trump’s Tariff Gambit: Strength, Strategy, or Showmanship?
President Trump’s decision to suspend tariffs on Mexico and Canada in exchange for commitments on border security and crime enforcement is a classic example of his America First approach to leadership. Unlike the typical career politicians in Washington—who have spent decades making trade deals that benefit everyone except American workers—Trump has never been afraid to…
The Independent Christian Conservative 