The U.S. ambassador to Canada said he was “very pleased” that Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio was selected as President Donald Trump’s running mate because of his Canadian ties.
In an interview with CBC Power and politics Kirsten Hillman said Monday that Vance is “a familiar figure at the embassy” and has been seen attending “a number of events in support of Canada-U.S. relations.”
“It’s good for us that he has such advanced knowledge,” Hillman added.
Vance, a staunch conservative and author of the best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” was praised by Trump for his military service and his graduation from Yale Law School.
“After lengthy deliberation and consideration, and taking into account many other extraordinary talents, I have determined that the person best qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Power & Politics asked the Canadian ambassador to the US how the dramatic US election campaign will affect the promotion of “Team Canada”.
Ohio’s economy is deeply intertwined with Canada’s: According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the state exported $21.4 billion worth of goods to Canada in 2023, accounting for 38% of Ohio’s total merchandise exports.
But Vance has aligned himself with Trump, who has pledged to impose global tariffs on imports if elected — measures that would be tougher than any trade policy during the president’s first term.
Trump has offered few details about his trade policy in campaign documents or media interviews, but has said he envisions a 10% global tax.
It’s unclear whether the policy applies to Canada, but Canadian officials have taken precautions. The federal government conducted a major diplomatic deployment in March, sending more than a dozen diplomats to various U.S. cities and meeting with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Hillman said Monday that what would work for Canada when talking to Democrats and Republicans is “not to question their motives for wanting to bring jobs back to the United States, but to point out to them that those jobs depend on having good customers.”
“Free trade with Canada is essential if we truly want to ensure a safe, prosperous and resilient America,” she added. “Certainly no one in Ohio wants to see a tariff war with their largest customer.”
Hillman said in May that Ottawa wasn’t worried about Donald Trump potentially returning to the White House.
“But the key takeaway here is that, as we have demonstrated, we are ready and able to work with both candidates running in the fall election,” Hillman said at the time.
“I don’t think people love Trump, but they’re going to listen to him because he’s diagnosing the problems all around them,” says author J.D. Vance.
Assassination attempts worsen
Trump’s pick of Vance as his running mate was announced just days after the former president survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, with the attacker’s motive still unclear.
Since then, Canadian and American leaders have called on voters to soften their rhetoric against political opponents and to work toward national unity.
Following Saturday’s assassination attempt, Trump said he would revise his acceptance speech to emphasize national unity rather than highlighting his differences with Biden.
Hillman said the assassination attempt was a “horrific incident” that had sent “significant shock waves” through the United States.
CBC’s Ellen Mauro uses video footage and witness testimony to analyze the events surrounding the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“I think the vast majority of Americans, if not almost all Americans, are abhorrent to this kind of violence,” she said.
Asked if he thought the American public was heeding calls to tone down extreme rhetoric, Hillman said he hoped the message was resonating.
“It’s certainly a confusing and complicated time, but it’s not the first time this has happened,” she said. “I think we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out over the next few months.”
