Trudeau and Trump have friendly first meeting
Leaders talk trade, border, labour-mobility reforms
WASHINGTON — There was no talk of walls, only bridges as Donald Trump had an amiable first meeting with his Canadian counterpart Monday that suggested the northern neighbour would be spared the brunt of his nationalist America-first platform.
The U.S. president spoke about more trade with Canada, a faster-flowing border, joint work on infrastructure projects and reforms to labour mobility as he shelved the tough-talking campaign rhetoric he directed daily at the southern neighbour, Mexico.
He was asked multiple times during a news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about their decidedly different views on Muslim migration and Syrian refugees — and every time tiptoed around any possible disagreements with Canada.
“America is deeply fortunate to have a neighbour like Canada,” Trump said at their White House news conference. “We have before us the opportunity to build even more bridges and bridges of co-operation and bridges of commerce. Both of us are committed to bringing greater prosperity and opportunity to our people.”
The camaraderie and reassuring words could dispel some of the anxiety that has lingered for months, with Trump railing daily against trade deals but saying little about Canada — a top U.S. trading partner and importer of nearly three-quarters of the goods Canada sells abroad.
Signs of that camaraderie included a joint statement so staid and normal, even by the historically placid standard of Canada-U.S. relations, that with some minor exceptions it could have been released by Barack Obama’s White House.
The statement skipped over some Obama priorities like climate change and refugees, but emphasized numerous Canadian priorities: customs pre-clearance projects to speed up the border; more opportunities for labour mobility; NATO co-operation in eastern Europe.
Trump drove home the point when asked about possible changes to NAFTA that he does not view the U.S.’s neighbours equally when it comes to trade. A president who railed against the continental trade pact almost daily as a candidate was asked for the first time how Canada fits into his plans for a renegotiation, which could start as early as this spring.
“We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada,” Trump replied.
“We’ll be tweaking it; we’ll be doing certain things that are going to benefit both of our countries. It’s a much less severe situation than what’s taken place on the southern border.”
Trudeau made clear there will be disagreements, as with Trump’s freeze on Syrian refugees and attempts to limit tourism from certain Muslim-majority countries.
He said relationships between neighbours are complex, there will be disagreements, and he said the countries will successfully navigate those complexities and still remain close friends.
Invited by a reporter to opine on his differences with Trump, the prime minister said: “The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves.”
In fact, the Canadians sought to ensconce themselves on Trump’s good side by taking a well-trodden path to it: flattery.
Canada’s diplomatic gifts to Trump included a picture of himself — standing next to Pierre Trudeau, in 1981.
Trump said of the gift: “His father I knew, and respected greatly.”
That exchange occurred at one of their four events at the White House: there was an Oval Office meeting, lunch, a news conference, and a meeting of a new Canada-U.S. business group for women, co-launched with Trump’s daughter Ivanka.
She was seated next to the prime minister at the event.
The idea for such a forum was hatched by Trudeau’s entourage.