Quebec - In the end, the long
charm offensive by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to
avoid the ire of US President Donald Trump failed just hours
after success seemed closest, with Trump raining insults as
Trudeau closed what seemed like a triumphant global summit.
Besides the escalated risk of a trade war, Trump's
blistering personal attack on Trudeau poses domestic economic
and political risks for the Canadian prime minister, who has
stuck to a conciliatory stance in the face of US threats on
NAFTA and other bilateral trade cases.
"PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during
our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left
saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will
not be pushed around.' Very dishonest & weak," Trump tweeted as
he flew to a Singapore summit on North Korea.
The attack shattered any hope that Canada could avoid US tariffs on steel and aluminum or renegotiate the North American
Free Trade Agreement by virtue of the charm, patience or
measured response it has extended to Trump since he took office.
Trudeau's office, reeling from the abrupt Trump reversal
hours after the two men had joked and smiled their way through a
fractious G7 meeting, said only that Trudeau had said nothing in
his news conference that he hadn't said before.
"Canadians are polite, we're reasonable, but we also will
not be pushed around," Trudeau had told reporters as he
reiterated that Canada would retaliate against U.S. tariffs on
steel and aluminum, adding Trump's rationale had been insulting.
While the two men have had several seemingly congenial
meetings and phone calls since Trump took office, they could not
be more different in terms of policy, with Trudeau a progressive
liberal, outspoken on feminism and the merits of diversity and
who was close to former president Barack Obama.
Earlier in the day, Trudeau had sniped about Trump's late
appearance at a women's empowerment breakfast, referring to
"stragglers".
Trump's about-face sparked dismay and anger among Canadian
and American free trade advocates alike.
"To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain
pro-free trade, pro-globalization & supportive of alliances
based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you,
even if our president doesn’t," US Republican Senator John
McCain tweeted after Trump on Saturday.
Trudeau's former foreign policy advisor, Roland Paris lashed
out at the US president.
"Big tough guy once he's back on his airplane. Can't do it
in person, and knows it, which makes him feel weak. So he
projects these feelings onto Trudeau and then lashes out at
him," Paris tweeted.
Trade experts who have watched Trump negotiate with tough
words on Twitter before said the bark of Trump's tweets often
exceeds the bite of his policy - but that this time, Canada
might struggle to respond.
"The rhetoric has far outpaced the implementation," said
Geoffrey Gertz, trade analyst with Brookings think tank in
Washington. "Now we might be at a turning point ... (Canadians
are) a little bit at a loss right now to figure out what to do."
But while Trudeau's months-long effort to reach out to US politicians and business leaders at every jurisdiction and level
may not have won over Trump, it may pay dividends if Trump's
attack finally spurs support from business groups or Congress.
Republicans worry the dispute with Canada could become an
issue in trade-dependent farm states ahead of November
congressional elections.
"There's some movement within Congress now to rein in Trump
on trade policy," Gertz said.
During the summit, Trump had changed the photo on his
Twitter page to the "family photo" taken with other G7 leaders.
Somewhere over the Atlantic, minutes after attacking Trudeau, he
swapped that for a photo with soldiers saluting during the
national anthem.