While our relationship with our closest ally was collapsing, the President of the United States spent his time posing for glamour shots, wrapping himself around an American flag as his team posted a music video titled “Nobody has more aura than President Trump.” And at almost the time that video went up, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he was suspending all trade talks and bringing his negotiators home, saying last-minute changes to the U.S. terms were unfair and “called into question the reliability of any deal.” One of our closest allies had just told the world, in plain language, that the word of the United States can no longer be trusted.
By midnight, 50 percent tariffs had hit roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods, imposed under a 1930 law so extreme no president had touched it in nearly a century, the same law economists blame for deepening the Great Depression. Standing in Ottawa the next morning, Carney was somber and calmly furious. “We were attacked,” he said. Then the line that captured all of it: “We recognize that sometimes its signature was written in pencil.” A deal with America means nothing anymore, because Trump can change the terms on a whim. Once an ally like Canada starts rebuilding its supply chains and finding new partners in Europe, Asia, even China, that influence does not simply flow back when the next president arrives with better manners. Trump is not just insulting a friend. He is throwing away one of the greatest strategic advantages this country spent generations building, drawn as always to the strongmen who threaten us while abusing the neighbors who have stood beside us through two world wars and the aftermath of September 11th.
This one is personal. To our Canadian neighbors watching this: millions of Americans saw what you did, and we watched with admiration, not resentment. Please do not give up on us yet. We have not given up on ourselves. And in November, we get the chance to start becoming a country worthy of your trust again.
See the full story in the video.
We are living through a pivotal moment for our country, and my goal is to reach as many people as possible with clear, factual information about what is happening. The more people who understand what is unfolding, the better our chances of pushing back against chaos, cruelty, and corruption ahead of the midterms.
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I’ll see you tomorrow,
Heather
This video is based on my written post, available HERE, and based on the events of 8-22-2026.
This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/22/nx-s1-5941584/us-canada-tariffs
