A tumultuous day in Canadian politics ended exactly as Chrystia Freeland spent the defining chapter of her political career. It was something Donald Trump taunted.
The shock from Freeland’s past came in President Trump’s social media post late Monday, commenting on her resignation from Canada’s federal cabinet.
The US president-elect’s posts highlighted past conflicts over trade and other issues. In the message, President Trump continued to troll Canada by comparing it to a U.S. state, and then added personal insults to his former interlocutor who once frustrated him.
“Canadians are stunned that the Minister of Finance has resigned or been removed from his position by Governor Justin Trudeau,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website.
“Her actions were completely harmful and in no way conducive to a beneficial transaction for very unfortunate Canadians. She will not be missed!!!”
The post drew new international attention to the spectacular political drama unfolding in Canada. So far, this story has not made headlines in the United States, where unique political news related to the presidential transition continues to flow.
It rekindled memories of how Freeland spent key moments in his nine-year career in the federal cabinet. The US issue was at the center of this.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Canadian Governor Justin Trudeau” in a social media post. That prompted questions from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland about how to negotiate with a leader who doesn’t appear to take Canada seriously.
Freeland was appointed as international trade minister in his first Cabinet role, and in 2017 was promoted to foreign minister, counterpart to President Trump, and his lead minister for cross-border issues.
Freeland frequently visited the United States and won praise from American liberals. Even her won an award from trump american critic He praised her as a champion of the liberal international order.
Freeland emphasized that: share a book He discussed human progress and the dangers of reverting to nationalism with his negotiators.
This caused consternation, if not more, in President Trump’s Washington.
Trump himself conducted a public excavation “We don’t really like their representatives,” Trump told her in late 2018, during the final stages of NAFTA renegotiations.
However, a new trade deal was signed a few days later. Freeland played a central role until the deal was sealed, sometimes to the annoyance of his American interlocutors.
Trade negotiations between Freeland and the United States
U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer was furious at various meetings over leaks from her side to Canadian reporters during negotiations.
His deputy, CJ Mahoney, delivered sharp criticism to Freeland in another session as time continued to run out as the U.S. self-imposed deadline loomed.
At the meeting, Freeland laid out a series of Canadian concerns about the proposed deal, occasionally reading from notes he scribbled in ink on his hand.
At one point, she raised concerns about specific provisions related to anti-whaling provisions in the environmental chapter of the agreement. She wondered if Inuit in Canada had an exemption to that.
With the US facing a tough Congressional schedule, Mahoney lost patience and wondered if he was willing to sacrifice a multibillion-dollar trade deal over a whaling exemption.
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, wrote in his memoir that Freeland spent meetings refusing to make substantive decisions, then went outside and held a press conference, making “banal statements.” ”, he lamented.
The Americans were so angry that they announced a deal with Mexico and said they were ready to proceed without Canada. Canadian officials, meanwhile, described Freeland’s actions as a deliberate delaying strategy to put pressure on the United States. declared deadline.
professional and friendly
Once the deal was finalized, Mr. Lighthizer eventually flew to Toronto and dined with his family at Mr. Freeland’s home. In his memoir, Mr. Lighthizer addressed their tumultuous relationship, insisting that it wasn’t as bad as reported.
”[Freeland] “She is an intrepid Rhodes scholar and former journalist who was once on the KGB’s watch list while reporting in the former Soviet Union,” Lighthizer writes in his book. no free trade.
“Much will be written about the personal relationship between the three of us, but contrary to reports and some people’s expectations, they have always been professional and at times very friendly. Ta.”
However, he admitted that initial negotiations in 2018 had been difficult. Mr. Lighthizer has made it clear that he is working on a substantial restructuring of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but he said it is not clear that Canadians understand that.
Ultimately, the deal was agreed upon with some changes requested by the United States. This included adding an element of long-term uncertainty. The agreement must be renegotiated every 10 years or it will expire. This was the goal of the United States, which was to force the countries into a near-continuous state of negotiation, which the United States believed was in its interests.
New negotiations are expected to begin as early as 2026, but Freeland will not be involved this time. But in her resignation letter on Monday, she hinted at a more pressing challenge with the U.S.
She said Prime Minister Trudeau offered her a role overseeing Canada-U.S. relations, but no department took her up on it. She took it as a demotion and resigned on the day she was scheduled to present a budget update.
Freeland added that he opposes new fiscal measures that would unnecessarily deplete Canada’s finances in the event of a potential economic emergency, namely President Trump’s threat of tariffs.
