A Conservative MP is using a long-standing friendship to connect with Donald Trump’s top aides as Canada prepares for the president-elect’s return to the White House next month as the country faces the threat of devastating tariffs. I made a connection.
Jamil Jibani I posted a photo on social media Saturday with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and British Conservative Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch. The three had dinner in Arlington, Virginia, not far from Washington, according to a person familiar with the gathering.
The two leaders discussed the importance of building strong ties among the three countries, sources said.
Mr. Vance and Mr. Givani also discussed petitions by Canadian politicians to protect Christians and the burning of some churches in recent years. Vance posted support for the petition on social media last week.
The Canadian Conservative Party member from Durham and the U.S. senator from Ohio have been friends since they both attended Yale University. Givani has previously written about their close relationship and Vance’s speech at his wedding.
This is the first time Mr. Givani has posted publicly about his meeting with friends since the November election that cemented Mr. Vance as the next commander in chief of the incoming administration.
Mr. Givani has invited the vice president-elect to go horseback riding in Ontario in the new year, and Mr. Vance has a goal of visiting Bowmanville, Ont., sources said.
President Trump’s tariff threat looms
The cross-border contact announcement comes as Conservative leader Pierre Poièvre navigates a response to President Trump’s tariff threats against the U.S.’s closest neighbor ahead of an impending review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement. It was done while trying to do so.
A general election must be held by October next year, but it could be brought earlier if the Liberal Party loses the confidence of the House of Commons. The winner will be in charge of reviewing the trilateral agreement in 2026.
Opinion polls have long shown the Conservatives in the lead over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
As an opposition leader, Poièvre largely avoided engaging with or criticizing Trump or the Republican Party in the run-up to the US presidential election.
But Mr. Poilievre is being forced to respond after President Trump threatens to impose 25% tariffs, which economists say would severely damage Canada’s economy.
Poiivre initially called the job threats “unwarranted,” but later criticized Trudeau for being weak.
“Any Conservative would tell every American that tariffs on Canada are a bad idea. We need to put Canada first,” Poièvre said at a news conference Sunday. .
Prime Minister Trudeau held an unprecedented surprise dinner with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago, a Republican club in Florida, and then met with other Federalist leaders.
The prime minister urged other leaders not to negotiate with Canada in public, saying the border is broken, while reinforcing the message that Trump’s tariffs will also hurt the U.S. economy.
But Poièvre said Trudeau had lost control of key government documents, including the budget and borders, leaving Canada in a vulnerable position.
Prime Minister Trudeau called Poièvre’s criticism useless when it comes to dealing with the incoming Trump administration. Prime Minister Trudeau said there is a long-standing tradition of Canadians coming together to defend Canada when it is threatened in any way.
In response, Poièvre said Trudeau is pushing Canadian jobs south with a planned carbon tax hike this spring.
