Here is how Trump continues to aid neighbors and make America great. No, this time we’re not talking about making war on Cuba or kidnapping the Venezuelan president after attacking Venezuelan boat in international waters.
No, we’re not talking about unilaterally breaking our treaty with Iran and threatening the exitance of our NATO allies.
No, we’re not talking about taking Greenland by force or stepping away from Ukraine to provide assistance to Russia.
This time, it’s “making America great again by” attacking Canada, rather than extending aid, while Canada suffers from wildfires.
Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, citing disputes over autos, alcohol and cheese
PUBLISHED: July 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM EDT | UPDATED: July 20, 2026 at 6:51 PM EDT
By JOSH BOAK
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, declaring that Canada has unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol and dairy products.
The move could unleash a new wave of economic chaos, with risks of higher inflation and further fraying of relations between two nations that had been closely woven together before Trump’s return to the White House.
The administration official previewing the action insisted on anonymity on a call with reporters to preview the president’s actions and said that Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy.
The new 50% tariffs would exclude energy products, potash, fish and critical minerals, but they would include goods that had previously been protected from import taxes by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. That 2020 trade pact was not renewed by the U.S., triggering a new set of negotiations that could run until 2036.
Canada faces the risk of a broader trade war
The tariffs could escalate into a wider trade war as Canada seeks to defend its economy.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford saw a possible showdown ahead. “If these tariffs proceed, Canada should respond tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar,” Ford posted on social media.
Chris Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, also called for a deal: “We encourage policymakers on both sides of the border to pursue a negotiated solution that restores market access for U.S. spirits and avoids further harm to the U.S. hospitality sector.”
But the use of a Great Depression-era law to impose the tariffs broadens some of the risks, as those tariffs could be applied to other U.S. trading partners, not just Canada, and inject “massive uncertainty” into the global economy, said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
In case you didn’t know, the Cato Institute is a right-wing organization that usually could be counted upon to back Trump. Even they seem to be growing tired of his lies and incompetence.
“We crossed the Rubicon,” Lincicome said. “The invocation of 338 is the nuclear option for Trump tariffs.”
Tariffs are also a political challenge for Trump
The new tariffs carry serious political and economic risks for Trump ahead of the November midterm elections for control of Congress. His “Liberation Day” tariffs last year in April provoked a financial market meltdown over concerns about inflation and a recession, prompting him to walk back the rates for a period of negotiation.
The Supreme Court ruled this February that Trump had lacked the legal authority to impose the tariffs by declaring an economic emergency, causing the administration to find alternative ways to raise import taxes based on a series of legal authorities.
Tariffs are taxes on imports, which companies can then pass along to consumers in the form of higher prices. The president maintains that the costs created by tariffs will cause manufacturing to relocate to the U.S., though there is little evidence of that in the economic data.
“These new taxes will raise prices on American families and likely lead to retaliation against the very industries Trump purportedly wants to protect,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who is chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The latest import taxes could worsen Trump’s weak ratings on the economy. He promised voters when running for the presidency that he would bring prices down, but the annual inflation rate has risen since he became president because the tariffs and the war in Iran are pushing up oil prices.
Trump has repeatedly targeted Canada on trade issues
The Trump administration official said the president had also requested that his aides look into additional tariffs on Canada because its wildfires hurt air quality in the U.S. He had publicly threatened to do so in social media posts.
This is the same President who denies the global warming that makes wildfires more likely and more serious. Rather than help solar power, he taxes it while promoting “beautiful clean coal.”
Trump claims in the proclamations that Canada discriminates against American autos, alcohol and cheese relative to other nations, but his argument rests in large part on retaliatory actions taken by Canada after the U.S. president imposed tariffs on Canada under the pretext that it should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling.
The White House said that, regarding alcohol, all but two Canadian provinces and territories halted the purchase and retailing of American alcoholic beverages beginning last year, which was also a response to Trump’s tariffs and taunts of making Canada the 51st state.
But Trump has long objected to Canada’s treatment of U.S. cheese, saying in his proclamation that Canada discriminates against the U.S. compared to Europe on dairy products.
Cheese? This is all about cheese? I am so proud of America, and the way we treat our neighbors. Oh, did I mention Mexico, as yet another neighbor whose citizens suffer because of Trump’s neighborly actions.
Yes, we certainly are becoming great again, the envy of the world. Because of Trump’s leadership, everyone looks upon us as that “shining city on a hill” symbolizing America as a beacon of hope, exceptionalism and moral guidance.
Rodger Mitchell
#Monetary Sovereignty - Mitchell 
Back when Los Angeles was burning last year, Canada did not hesitate to step up. Quebec water bombers flew over the Palisades within days. Ottawa offered 250 firefighters. Alberta prepared night vision helicopters. Even as Trump openly talked about absorbing Canada as the 51st state, our neighbors were here.
Now they are the ones in trouble, needing help from a longtime ally. Take a look at how our President responded:
He wrote on Truth Social that America is being “unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air,” calling it “Willful Negligence” by Canada.
Some of that smoke, by the way, is coming off our own fires in northern Minnesota. But of course, the answer was tariffs. Always tariffs.
This is what being our ally gets you now. You can send us every plane you have, but Trump will still find a way to make you pay. He keeps asking why our friends won’t stand with us anymore, but the answer is clear. And everyone sees it but him.
This is how Trump has “Made America Great Again” MAGA!
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You already said it, but I would like to emphasize it! Trump feels it is okay to end all US policies on reducing carbon emissions and then gives every industry permission to increase the production of greenhouse gases.
But he is too stupid and insane to admit he is one of the biggest causes of higher temperatures, melting poles, and the lightning storms that are starting the wildfires. Canada, California, some European nations are all undergoing drought conditions that are turning forests into tinder, grasslands into deserts, and making breathing difficult for all species of life that need oxygen in order to survive.
Adding tariffs are just a side game. Destroying American democracy is just a side game. He is out to destroy all life on our planet. He hates and fears the idea he has to die. His chosen response is to take all other living beings with him.
Even white, Christian males. They can do nothing to preserve his life!
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Mary L Trump
Jul 21
Donald has always viewed the presidency as an investment opportunity. Long before he returned to the White House, we knew he had no interest in serving the American people unless doing so also served him. What has changed during his second administration is not the existence of the corruption. It is the scale. It is the brazenness. And it is the complete absence of any effort to conceal it. They are no longer pretending to separate public service from private enrichment because they no longer believe they have to. The corruption is happening in broad daylight, and they expect us simply to accept it.
As one commentator recently put it, this is the most corrupt administration in American history. It is so blatant and so obvious that they are not even attempting to hide it anymore. Eric Trump becomes a strategic adviser to defense companies that suddenly begin winning Pentagon contracts. Jared Kushner travels the world after receiving a two billion dollar investment from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, earning more than one hundred million dollars in management fees while the investment itself produces virtually nothing. Donald Trump Jr. continues opening hotels and business ventures in the very countries where his father is conducting American diplomacy. Donald himself is wealthier than he has ever been. His sons are wealthier than they have ever been. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are wealthier than they have ever been. None of that is a coincidence.
It is also worth reminding ourselves that this has nothing to do with competence. None of them possess extraordinary business skills. None of them suddenly became innovators. None of them developed expertise that the rest of the marketplace somehow overlooked. They are becoming richer for one reason and one reason only. Donald is President of the United States.
Eric’s newest venture illustrates the point perfectly. He became Chief Strategy Advisor for Foundation Future Industries, a robotics company that, almost immediately afterward, secured twenty four million dollars in Defense Department contracts to develop humanoid robots for potential battlefield use. We are expected to believe this happened because Eric Trump possesses unique expertise in robotics. The company told CNBC that Eric invested before joining as an adviser. If you believe that, I have a bridge I would be delighted to sell you.
When Eric appeared on Fox Business to celebrate the Pentagon contract, he sounded remarkably enthusiastic about the future of military robotics.
Yes, apparently we must win this race because Eric Trump does not yet have enough money. The robots also sound considerably more human than most members of the Trump family, present company excluded, I hope.
Foundation Future Industries later announced that it would unveil a second generation model, proudly describing it as the strongest humanoid robot anywhere in the world, including China. A company spokeswoman insisted Eric played no role in securing the Defense Department contracts.
Again, see my earlier comments regarding bridges for sale.
Eric also remains Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization, which increasingly appears to mean Executive Vice President in charge of finding new ways to separate American taxpayers from their money.
The robotics investment is only one piece of a much larger strategy. A Washington Post analysis published on July 13 found that investment funds linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had poured money into more than a dozen defense technology companies that later received billions of dollars in government contracts. There is that remarkable coincidence again.
One of the largest investment vehicles behind those holdings is 1789 Capital. Donald Trump Jr. joined the firm as a partner within days of his father’s 2024 election victory. The company is run by Chris Buskirk, a political strategist for Vice President J.D. Vance, along with investor Omeed Malik. During the past year alone, the firm’s assets under management exploded from roughly two hundred million dollars to approximately three and a half billion dollars. Apparently that just happened because the firm is extraordinarily gifted.
In October 2025, Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Riyadh to promote 1789 Capital at a Saudi investment conference. During the event, he explained exactly why investors should trust the firm.
This is what Don Jr. said:
Think about what he is actually saying.
The selling point is no longer investment expertise. It is no longer financial performance. It is access to the President of the United States. Donald Trump Jr. openly tells investors that his firm understands exactly what the administration intends to do because it helped shape the messaging. He is not even pretending anymore. The value proposition is his proximity to presidential power.
For years we watched Republicans investigate Hunter Biden over allegations that he benefited from his father’s political position. Whether those investigations were justified is almost beside the point. What the Trump family is doing bears no resemblance to that. Hunter Biden did not openly travel the world telling investors they should hand him money because he helped shape White House policy. Donald Trump Jr. is doing exactly that, and he is doing it publicly.
When somebody pointed out that this represented an entirely different level of corruption, I could not have said it better myself. With Hunter Biden, we were talking primarily about nepotism. It was not a good look, but it was not a threat to the integrity of the American government. What Donald, Don Jr., Eric, Jared Kushner, and the rest of the family are doing is something altogether different. It is infinitely more corrupt, infinitely more dangerous, and infinitely more damaging to our institutions because they are monetizing the presidency itself.
Donald Trump Jr. could have saved everybody a great deal of time by simply saying, invest with us because our father is President of the United States and he is for sale.
That, unfortunately, would have been the honest version.
Of course, a Pentagon spokesperson insisted that no company receives preferential treatment and that outside political connections play absolutely no role in funding decisions. We know that is simply not true. Don Jr. has publicly discussed assisting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with personnel decisions, despite holding no government position, receiving no Senate confirmation, and having absolutely no official authority to influence the Department of Defense.
Think about that for a moment.
Don Jr., a private citizen whose primary qualification is sharing DNA with the President of the United States, was reportedly helping decide personnel matters inside the Pentagon. More specifically, those conversations centered on candidates who supported expanding spending on military drones. That is not merely inappropriate. It represents an extraordinary collapse of the distinction between private financial interests and public decision making.
Government ethics attorney Kathleen Clark captured the problem perfectly. This is what she said:
Exactly.
Even if a particular defense policy could be justified on its own merits, it becomes impossible to separate that policy from the financial interests of the people making it when the President’s family is actively investing in the very industries that stand to benefit. That is precisely why conflict of interest laws and ethical standards exist. They are designed to ensure that decisions affecting national security are made because they serve the country, not because they enrich the President’s family.
Instead, we are watching Donald and his children siphon money from the federal government into investment portfolios that continue growing more valuable as military spending increases. That is not only profoundly corrupt. It presents a genuine threat to national security because every military decision becomes clouded by legitimate questions about personal financial gain.
The timing makes the situation even more disturbing.
After the ceasefire with Iran collapsed on July 8, the war resumed. Independent estimates now place the cost to American taxpayers at well above one hundred billion dollars, and that number continues climbing. Every additional weapons system purchased, every new military contract awarded, and every expansion of defense spending creates another opportunity for people connected to the Trump family to profit.
That is not a coincidence.
The defense investments are only one part of an ever expanding Trump business empire that has flourished since Donald returned to office. Donald’s financial disclosure, released at the end of June, reported that he earned approximately 2.2 dollars during 2025 alone. Roughly 1.4 billion dollars of that came from cryptocurrency ventures. Separate estimates now place Donald’s personal net worth at approximately 6.5 billion dollars.
If Donald truly is the brilliant businessman he has spent decades pretending to be, there is an obvious question.
Why was he unable to generate this kind of wealth before he regained the presidency?
The answer, of course, is that he could not.
During an interview with CNBC from the Oval Office on July 2, Donald attempted to explain how his fortune continues growing while insisting he remains completely detached from the process.
No.
That is neither true nor remotely believable.
We should remind ourselves that before Donald became President, the principal source of his wealth was his father. Fred Trump spent decades transferring enormous sums of money to Donald, often through questionable financial arrangements. Donald did not suddenly become a financial genius in his late seventies. He simply acquired something far more valuable than business talent. He acquired the presidency.
That is why World Liberty Financial has become one of the most lucrative enterprises in American political history.
The cryptocurrency venture enriching Donald and his children is operated largely by Eric and Donald Trump Jr. Yet somehow we are expected to believe there are no conflicts of interest. The White House has actually said as much, apparently assuming the American people are incapable of recognizing the obvious.
The remarkable part is that Donald himself effectively admitted the opposite during that same CNBC interview.
After insisting Eric manages his investments independently, Donald acknowledged something that completely undermined his own defense. He admitted that because the presidency is so powerful, virtually anything his children do creates a conflict of interest.
Exactly.
That is the point.
Donald understands perfectly well that his family’s wealth is growing because of the office he holds. He simply does not care. Rather than avoiding those conflicts, he has embraced them. Rather than separating public office from private enrichment, he has fused the two into a single enterprise designed to benefit himself and his family.
Presidents, thanks to a deeply misguided Office of Legal Counsel memorandum, are generally exempt from the federal criminal conflict of interest statute. That legal reality explains why so much of this discussion revolves around ethics, disclosure, and public trust instead of criminal prosecution.
But legality has never been the appropriate standard.
The Presidency is not merely another job. It is a public trust. The American people expect the person occupying the Oval Office to make decisions based upon what benefits the country, not what benefits his own investment portfolio or the portfolios of his children.
Donald has rejected that principle entirely.
What concerns me almost as much as the corruption itself is how quickly we are becoming accustomed to it.
Simply documenting the corruption cannot be where the conversation ends. Democrats need to explain exactly what they intend to do when they regain power. They need to explain why this behavior is so dangerous to democratic government. They need to promise meaningful reforms that ensure no future president, regardless of party, can transform the office into a family investment fund.
Because if we fail to respond decisively, this becomes the new normal.
Donald has spent decades convincing millions of Americans that corruption is simply another form of success. During his second presidency, he has taken that idea to its logical conclusion. The presidency itself has become another Trump brand, another business venture, another mechanism through which public power is converted into private wealth.
Even if none of this surprises you because we are talking about Donald Trump, it should still sicken you.
It should sicken every American who believes public office exists to serve the public rather than enrich the people fortunate enough to occupy it. The danger is not only what Donald and his family are doing today. The danger is that future presidents may conclude they can do the same thing because nobody stopped them.
That is why this matters. It is bigger than Donald. It is about whether the presidency remains a public trust or becomes a private business. And if we allow that transformation to continue unchecked, we will lose far more than taxpayer dollars.
We will lose one of the most fundamental principles of American democracy: that public office belongs to the American people, not to the family of the person who happens to hold it.
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