Canada's ambassador to the United States says if former president and current Republican Party candidate Donald Trump wins back the White House, she's confident the Canadian and American governments can still work well together.
Kirsten Hillman told CTV News Channel's Power Play host Vassy Kapelos, in an interview which aired Tuesday, that "ultimately, not all decisions are made by the president and the administration."
"The rational economic players are still in his orbit," Hillman said. "And that's important to us, and we're going to call on those relationships."
On the final day of his cabinet retreat in Montreal on Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the upcoming presidential election in the United States, saying the federal government will defend Canadian interests regardless of who sits in the Oval Office next.
Trudeau also announced Hillman will co-lead, along with the ministers of innovation and international trade, a "Team Canada engagement strategy to promote and defend Canada's interests in and with the United States."
The group will be modelled after a previous strategy of the federal government's, "to make sure that we're ready to continue to benefit as Canadians form a strong relationship with the United States," Trudeau said.
Hillman told Kapelos it's "certainly possible" Trump wins both the Republican nomination and the presidential election in the fall.
"I'm not going to be making predictions on that because that's not my expertise, but I certainly think that it's possible," she said.
The ambassador added that whether the U.S. heads into another Joe Biden or Trump administration, Canada should prepare for both possible scenarios.
She said even if it's the latter, she's "not convinced" that much will change at the community level.
"It's about achieving those goals for those communities," she said. "And not about (the) sort of political partisanship when it comes to the relationship with Canada."
Hillman said both countries have wide-ranging common goals and priorities, from economic security and prosperity, to energy security and the energy transition, and national security, which for the U.S.-Canada relationship is particularly relevant when it comes to the Arctic.
"Because ultimately, that's what the U.S. cares about. They care about U.S. prosperity and success, as they should, as we care about that for Canadians," Hillman said. "And as long as we can continue to give a compelling message that we're contributing to that, I think that's an important hedge against any volatility that might come."
Watch the interview with Hillman at the top of the article.
