Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Republicans may be rooting for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as he pushes back against President Donald Trump in an escalating trade war between the two allies.
Clinton Says Republicans May Be Backing Carney
“I can’t imagine that even in the Republican cloakroom in the Senate, there’s much enthusiasm for going into a trade war with Canada,” Clinton said Monday at an event in New York. She argued Republicans are “probably secretly cheering Mark Carney for standing up to him and doing what he’s now doing on behalf of his country.”
Clinton cited Ohio and Michigan’s dependence on Canada, claiming 40% of Ohio exports and 60% of Michigan exports go north. USTR data show Canada accounted for about 32% and 39%, respectively, of the states’ goods exports in 2025.
Canada Retaliates As Tariff Fight Escalates
The comments came as Washington and Ottawa moved deeper into confrontation after U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed just before the deadline. Trump’s 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods took effect Aug. 22 after a three-day reprieve. Canada said Tuesday it would answer “dollar for dollar,” imposing tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on C$27.6 billion of U.S. imports starting Sept. 8.
Ottawa said the measures will hit steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics. Carney, who had previously warned Canada had a “full range” of responses available, said the country was acting reluctantly because retaliation would raise costs and reduce consumer choice. Canada also unveiled C$7.5 billion in new and expanded support for affected workers and businesses.
Trade Stakes Rise Beyond Latest Tariffs
The stakes extend well beyond the latest tariff list. USTR says U.S.-Canada goods trade totaled about $719.5 billion in 2025. Trump has also threatened 50% tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, auto parts and steel beginning next year, while repeatedly reviving rhetoric about Canada becoming a U.S. state.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai dismissed Clinton’s criticism in a statement shared with The Hill, “if Hillary Clinton knew anything about Ohio or Michigan – or Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, for that matter – she wouldn’t have so humiliatingly lost to President Trump in 2016.”
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