Strongman next door: How Trump’s America puts pressure on Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Prime Minister Mark Carney during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

Eric Ham is based in Washington, D.C. and is a political analyst for CTV News. He’s a bestselling author and former congressional staffer in the U.S. Congress and writes for CTVNews.ca.

“I don’t know what it is, I like the tough people better than I like the soft, easy ones. I don’t know what the hell that is. That’s a personality problem I suspect.”

U.S. President Donald Trump made this comment co-chairing the recent Egyptian summit touting the highly anticipated Gaza ceasefire.

This sophomoric fawning over dictators and fascists that was on display in the Middle East and throughout his recent encounters with world leaders is a harbinger of what is to come for Prime Minister Mark Carney, as he navigates a treacherous tightrope with the American president.

The Commander-in-Chief’s glowing affinity for global strongmen, all the while flagellating democratic leaders, should strike consternation in leaders that prioritize freedom and fairness; as Trump clearly regards such leaders as “soft” and “easy.”

This is the climate, this is the environment that Canada and Carney now find themselves facing. Its southern neighbour is no longer a bulwark against tyrannical forces. Canada’s biggest trading partner and influential ally has now gone rogue. The president has consolidated all branches of power and levers of political influence in the palm of his hand. Indiscriminate extrajudicial killings carried out within its own hemisphere fuelled by rage and hate. This is the new normal Carney must contend with as he fights to uphold national sovereignty, all the while, warding off withering and blistering attacks on the country’s economy.

Where this White House stands

Trump’s recent bilateral meetings and interactions on the global stage leaves no doubt where this White House stands amid a world growing more complicated and autocratic by the day.

Such bizarre and oleaginous affection for macabre and ruthless leaders is an ominous yet insightful look at what the future might hold for Canada as it attempts to find common ground with its one-time ally.

Trump recently met with Argentina’s President Javier Milei. “If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina,” Trump said. “I’m with this man (Milei) because his philosophy is correct, and he may win it … He may not win, but I think he’s going to win. And if he wins, we’re staying with him. And if he doesn’t win, we’re gone. We’re not going to let somebody get into office and squander the taxpayer money from this country. I’m not gonna let it happen … If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina.”

Using American largesse and prestige, the Commander-in-Chief’s strongman metamorphosis is nearly complete. Bullying, cajoling, and beguiling allies and foes alike to foment a political agenda he believes will cement his grip on power as well as enrich himself and his family.

‘Shouting match’

In fact, his tyrannical impulses were on full display during his most recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy. Reports said that during their recent White House sit-down, the American president “…urged Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s terms for ending its war,“ warning that Vladimir Putin had said he would “destroy” Ukraine if it did not agree.”

The Financial Times reports the meeting descended many times into a “shouting match” with Trump “cursing all the time” and Trump repeatedly echoing talking points the Russian leader had made in their call a day earlier.

Not one to model his presidency after past stewards of the Oval Office that stood tall in the face of fascism and tyranny (Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt facing down the axis of evil during WWII or John Kennedy holding the line against Soviet aggression), Trump continues to eschew even a modicum of adherence to principles embedded in the U.S. Constitution that often served as a beacon for past White House occupants.

Key tenets such as freedom, justice, or even equality are often cast aside by the convicted felon when pressed to choose between democracy and totalitarianism. Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; are all showered with lavish praise. Moreover, the well of admiration, from which the Commander-In-Chief draws has no limits, never runs dry; and is an endless source of exaltations for men who routinely rain down fear and dread on their subjects.

Compare that to Zelenskyy, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, or Britain’s Keir Starmer. Each of these democratically elected leaders are or have been routinely abused by America’s would-be strongman. Mockery, disdain, and loathing are just a few of the words best to describe Trump’s encounters with Western leaders.

For four years, Zelenskyy has withstood an unlawful and horrific slaughter as Putin’s war machine levels cities; targets children; and bombs Ukraine’s most vulnerable. Outmatched and outgunned, the Ukrainian people have fought valiantly with honour and resolve. Yet, time after time, the world’s largest military; the globe’s most powerful democracy; continues to grudgingly tolerate Zelenskyy’s presence.

The cries and wails of his people perpetually fall on deaf ears in a White House unfazed and unmoved by endless suffering of a proud people who have endured far too much for far too long.

Upholding freedom; protecting equality; championing diversity; and hailing individual rights is no longer virtuous. In fact, in the era of Trump, these democratic principles are seen as a sign of weakness. Yet, these tenants still stand for something in the Great White North. In the Trump Administration, however, they are loathed and dismissed. Symbols of weakness, not strength.

It is no longer seen as commendable to stand for openness; now the policy of the day is to close off and shun. Zelensky knows this all too well and now Carney is experiencing it for himself. Trump’s recent foreign policy machinations shined a light on what the world can expect for the remainder of his term. It is not pretty. It is not hopeful. It is not encouraging. It is, however, sobering. It is instructive. It is insightful. Therefore, move with caution; extreme caution.

More from Eric Ham:

• The truth behind the smiles
• Border issues a potential derailment to CUSMA extension
• Carney’s European trip sends a strong message to Trump