Eisenberger calls out Trump on Twitter over NAFTA
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger publicly called for President Donald Trump to resign on Twitter after the U.S. leader suggested he may have to terminate NAFTA because Canada is being “very difficult.”
Negotiations are ongoing between the U.S., Canada and Mexico on potential changes to the wideranging and contentious North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trump tweeted Sunday to criticize Canada and Mexico over the “very difficult” negotiations. “May have to terminate?”
Some Canadian politicians dismissed the comments as empty rhetoric, but others, including Eisenberger and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, couldn’t help but fire back.
“The only thing that needs to be terminated is your presidency. Save yourself and your country. Resign and you will be popular everywhere,” tweeted Eisenberger hours later, earning more than 1,200 retweets as of midday Monday.
The mayor of border city Windsor also weighed in. “35 of 50 States call Canada their # 1 customer. I look forward to hearing the position of elected officials from those states,” he added in a tweeted reply.
Eisenberger said Monday his public call-out of the Twitter-happy president grew out of frustration. “I’ve sat and watched and not responded in the past,” he said. “This time, my inside voice just came out.”
Media outlets on the both sides of the border noted the Canadian Twitter commentary. Many of the online responses to the mayor’s tweet appeared supportive, but a few responders accused Eisenberger of bias or failing to keep the debate professional.
The mayor said he has no intention of becoming an “anti-Trump champion” but didn’t rule out publicly providing his two cents again.
“We’re watching this presidential mess and seeing the misogyny, racism, every kind of divisive thing you can think of,” he said. “Probably the worst way to deal with it is to remain silent.”