‘Canada could well pay for this’
Trudeau video used in Biden ad
A video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appearing to mock Donald Trump was thrust into the heart of U. S. politics on Thursday.
A campaign ad by former vice- president Joe Biden, running to be the Democratic nominee against Trump in 2020, said the video was evidence that world leaders were derisive of the U.S. president.
“The world is laughing at President Trump,” says the ad. “They see him for what he really is: dangerously incompetent and incapable of world leadership.”
The campaign ad quickly went viral — it had garnered eight million views by midday Thursday — and was praised by Democratic pundits and strategists on Twitter as perhaps Biden’s most effective attack yet. The campaign also posted it on Facebook and used it in a fundraising pitch.
“When ( Biden) saw the painful reception that Trump received from world leaders representing countries that have traditionally been strong American allies, it struck a chord and he felt the need to speak out,” a Biden aide said.
Experts in international relations also warned the fallout from the video could have consequences for Canada.
“Canada could well pay for this,” said Michael Byers, the Canada Research Chair in global politics and international law at the University of British Columbia.
“It could have very serious consequences. It sets back years of effort in keeping Canada in a safe and quiet position vis- à- vis Donald Trump.”
In the video, Trudeau is seen talking with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Princess Anne at a reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, where they appear to be mocking the president.
After the video surfaced, Trump called Trudeau “twofaced,” but then added, “I find him to be a nice guy.”
The incident is making headlines around the world and Andrew Scheer, leader of the opposition Conservatives, slammed Trudeau in remarks on Wednesday.
“Justin Trudeau’s poor judgment, lack of professionalism, and love of drama continues to weaken Canada’s position on the world stage,” Scheer said.
The question pundits have seized upon is, to what extent this episode matters for Canada and the United States
Michael D’antonio, a Donald Trump biographer and CNN commentator, wrote in an email to the Post that “Trump takes everything personally,” but in this case the president might be hesitant to attack Trudeau.
“I’m sure he regards Trudeau as a younger, fitter, more appealing leader than himself and he may even envy him,” D’antonio wrote. “For this reason he might be reluctant to call attention to Trudeau’s role in this brouhaha and more inclined to attack Biden with nicknames or say Biden disrespected the presidency and the country.”
Canada and the United States do, at the moment, have a somewhat fragile relationship, with the ongoing discussions about a U.S.- Canada-mexico free-trade agreement and Trump’s quibbling over NATO funding.
D’antonio says Canadians “might be sensitive” over the area of trade, though he is unsure it will matter in the end.
However, Byers said the biggest problem is how Trump could react, given he is “easily aggrieved and often vindictive in his approach to diplomacy.”
Any upset with the U. S. risks a couple of Canadian priorities, such as the free trade deal and assistance from Trump in Canada’s relationship with China.
“Canadian foreign policy has been focused on avoiding any provocation and keeping the relationship as quiet and smooth as possible,” said Byers.
White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway told Fox & Friends Thursday morning that while the Trudeau conversation was a “childish, churlish exchange,” she said they weren’t mocking the president and that Trump’s relationship with Trudeau will remain the same.
“Because at least President Trump is honest when he’s calling out a foreign leader and the way he feels about them not paying their defence dues to NATO, which has been a problem in Canada and with some other allies,” Conway said.