Why Trudeau’s Top US Diplomat is Actually ‘Very Pleased’ with Trump’s Posturing on the Northern Border

The U.S., she says, “is like family.” And Hillman knows the president-elect well. In advance of the election, we were involved in a very systematic effort to get out and reinforce relationships with Republicans and Democrats, traveling the country, making sure that we are making the connections that we need, talking to the people that are advising the Biden team and the Trump team — the Biden team was easier because they’re already in the White House and we know who they are — and then eventually, Vice President Harris’ team. But right after Freeland left, we started hearing about your government’s new plan to spend, I think it was an extra $1.3 billion in border security; we started hearing about this joint strike force on the border between the U.S. and Canada — things that are clearly getting at what President-elect Trump was saying in his messages. Canada’s government nearly imploded when Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, resigned, citing Donald Trump as a threat. People might find this surprising, but Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump have a level of congeniality between them that maybe isn’t obvious to outsiders.