Trump’s rebranding of Lake Ontario was just the beginning of multi-day effort to provoke Canada

Donald Trump sought to escalate his trade war with Canada on Sunday afternoon and issued a demand on Truth Social that Canadian companies wanting to do business with the U.S. reshore their headquarters within its borders.

His latest remarks come as Canadian officials warned that the country was prepared for an extended dispute with the U.S. after trade talks collapsed and Trump announced tariffs as high as 50 percent on some Canadian goods including dairy products and lumber. Canada has levied reciprocal tariffs against U.S. steel, aluminum and other exports.

On Sunday afternoon, the president said Canadian companies should move their headquarters and production facilities to avoid newly imposed tariffs. The duties are set to begin in 2027.

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[–] 168 points 1 month ago* (14 children)

To all Canadians:

The only way we're not going to end up another victim of this lunatic and his kind is if we all act, every one of us. I still see Starbucks overflowing. I still see people porking out on McDonald's, Popeyes, Wendy's. People still filling up their baskets with Coca Cola and Lays potato chips.

What the fuck, people? We did way better when this when this all started, US produce was rotting on the shelves. He's literally attacking us now and I would hope that could at least get us back to that point.

You. Yes you. Stop. It's not just a coke. It's not just your favorite fries. It's evidence that your dependence on US crap is too high and needs correcting.

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  • [–] 36 points 1 month ago

    Also something I don't hear said enough is: with boycotts, anything is better than nothing. If you really can't live without Coca-Cola, that doesn't have to stop you cutting down on everything else. Just making the small effort on the shelves to check the label goes a long way.

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    [–] 68 points 1 month ago (6 children)

    What the fuck is wrong with this moron? Is he actively having a stroke?

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  • [–] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 child)

    Lots but I don't think this move isn't crazy or wrong from the perspective of his material interest. He's sending a message to parts of capital that aren't under his thumb / he isn't under theirs, that he'll hit their bottom line unless they materially pledge allegiance. He's trying to engineer capital flight from Canada that could hurt us enough to get us to fall in line and allow resource and market access to his side of capital to exploit and profit from our labour and natural resources. Would it work? I hope not but I wouldn't disregard the possibility.

    If he's serious about this, we might see him manufacture some terrorism or drugs excuse to slap massive tariffs, perhaps even sanctions on us. As his chances of losing the senate and the house in 2 months keep growing, this shit is getting more and more about his survival, so I think the chance that this not being hot air is growing.

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    [–] 61 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    He is so astonishingly stupid.

    “They’ve been ripping us off for decades, and it’s going to stop.”

    Just once, I want to hear him back up any of his insult-claims with evidence of any kind. If a reporter pushes back, they get, "you know, you really are a stupid person" in response. Never any explanation. Canada has been ripping us off. Venezuela ripped us off. Everyone ripped us off, apparently, but I have no idea how. Just once, Donny, for the history books.

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  • [–] 14 points 1 month ago

    When a dotard like donnie the dumbass hears a term like "trade deficit", he assumes something untoward is going on.

    But that is probably one of the most idiotic takes one could have. But donnie is not the only one...

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    [–] 55 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    ran out of stuff to distract from the epstein files, huh must be the time of the month for him.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    I wonder if there are any Canadian organizations, non-profits, that would like a complete copy of the Epstein Files, unredacted, to analyze? I've read that Drumpf is in the Epstein Files, and surely an independent Epstein Files analyst with unredacted Epstein Files documents in hand could locate a Trump within them easily. Make that the Trump-Epstein files, since we're renaming things.

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  • [–] 47 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    “Let all Canadian Companies that are doing business with America move to the United States, immediately. Many of them are Companies that moved out years ago due to stupid U.S. Leadership. When you move back, there are no TARIFFS!” Trump wrote.

    In a separate post, he argued that Canada was one of America’s worst trading partners, despite being its second-largest. Canada and the U.S. conduct close to $900 billion in cross-border economic activity each year, according to the U.S. trade representative.

    This man is insane and needs to be removed from office immediately by impeachment or the 25th amendment.

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  • [–] 41 points 1 month ago

    Wut?

    I can't even imagine what kind of crazy runs through his head. Sure, let me relocate my entire damn company because some tool decided to throw a tantrum and pick a fight with one of their biggest partners because reasons that'll get turned around whenever he gets bored with it...

    Hey Donnie, you don't get to go making unilateral demands on an international stage, the world is not one of your casinos to bankrupt

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  • [–] 39 points 1 month ago
    [–] 31 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    The comment by Freethought is interesting:

    ... Forty-two percent of Canadian manufacturers have already moved, or plan to move, some or all of their production to the United States, according to a May 2026 KPMG Canada survey. The survey found that 29% have already shifted production south and another 13% plan to within the next two years. Something tells me Trump already knows this, and when this becomes public knowledge, he will falsely claim it was all because of him.

    It's the same thing he did with egg prices. A Bird Flu outbreak drove prices up. Trump did nothing. The outbreak died down, thanks to responsible farmers, and prices dropped. Trump now brags that his administration brought egg prices down.

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    [–] 26 points 1 month ago (6 children)

    Is he turning his attention back to Canada because he's upset at losing to Iran?

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    [–] 25 points 1 month ago

    If he knew anything about business, he'd know this isn't that simple or fast to do. If they were even willing.

    Boy, he sure is trying to deflect attention a lot, isn't he?

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  • [–] 24 points 1 month ago (5 children)

    The way Trump is going we're not going to be a world power let alone a superpower much longer. I can't t see Canadian businesses moving to the US as being to their advantage. Plenty of disadvantages, but not many advantages.

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    [–] 18 points 1 month ago

    Who's ready for another TACO Tuesday?

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  • [–] 17 points 1 month ago

    I feel myself die,

    When verbal diarrhea,

    Spews out of his mouth


    Doesn't hold the cards,

    He thought this would be easy,

    Never a thank you

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  • [–] 17 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    why isn’t anyone bringing the 25th amendment to the floor?

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    [–] 15 points 1 month ago

    That's right! Companies based in Canada better move to the US or face... deportation???

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  • [–] 14 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    Moving to the US sounds like a good way to have all your wealth stolen from you and go broke.

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    [–] 14 points 1 month ago* (4 children)

    Even with tariffs, employing Canadians remains cheaper as wages are lower overall, and you don't need to pay for obscenely expensive medical insurance for your employees in Canada.

    I don't think Americans grasp how uncompetitive their labour market is specifically because they don't have single payer healthcare.

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    [–] 13 points 1 month ago

    So Stephen Miller and ICE changed their minds about immigration?

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  • [–] 13 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    So NAFTA was really just about USA having the power. "Free trade" my foot. Hope Canada (and Mexico) can successfully navigate this. How awful.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    NAFTA largely benefitted us both, although there were some problems - though from everything I can tell, the upsides far outweighed the downsides.

    Republicans in general have been behind most of the rise of fascism and shit, with Trump being even worse on top.

    Believe what you like, but you're throwing the baby out with the bath water on that one.

    Nothing I'm saying defends Trump or the fascists being stupid and shooting not guns but bazookas at our own feet and firing those bazookas wildly everywhere and shitting on everything.

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    [–] 11 points 1 month ago

    This could hurt Canada. Most businesses pray to the Gods of profit, not nationalism.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 month ago

    Provoking canada. Lots of new war crimes can be thought up. Its not a war crime the first time.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 month ago (6 children)
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    [–] 10 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    But they are in America, North America to be precise. I assume what is referring to is the US.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

    This comes up a lot these days, but it's pretty standard in Canada and the USA to call the USA "America". It's not just a Trump thing, or even just an American (from the USA) thing.

    In Canada we would never say we are in America. We would say we're in North America, and maybe "The Americas". But saying we're in America would sound to us like you're saying we're part of the USA. And absolutely, without a doubt, we would not call ourselves "American". That is 100% reserved for people from the USA.

    So I understand where the rest of the world hears the word "America" being thrown around by, well, Americans for lack of a better term (USAers?) and thinks it's weird, but in this context, saying Canada is in America is actually kind of insulting to us Canadians.

    It's particularly weird when speaking Spanish, where saying someone is Americano is often used for anyone from the Americas. But at least they have "estadounidense" (basically "united statesian" which I've never heard anyone say in English). But they also use "norteamericano" (North American) specifically for people from the USA. Ugh.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 month ago
    [–] 7 points 1 month ago (1 child)

    To all the Hat People- that’s what we call it right, folks, America’s Hat. It’s about to be a MAGA hat, amirite? To all the Hat People, immediately move all your businesses to the US, or else. What is the “or else?” I have no idea. Have you seen the ballroom lately? Isn’t it beautiful? Biden didn’t have a ballroom, did he?

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    [–] 7 points 1 month ago (4 children)

    It's only a matter of time before he begins to really push the boundaries physically.

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    [–] 7 points 1 month ago

    Sleepy Don needs to step down.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago

    Everyone in Canada is already in America... That was easy.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago

    And still, so many non-millionaire or higher Americans giving a great "ye-hah!" at this. Hopefully they'll be significantly outvoted in the next election, but they'll not change. The swing voters are likely liable to vote for this stupidity again in the future. Education (not indoctrination) needs to improve.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago

    Ah yes that'll fly over well

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  • [–] 7 points 1 month ago
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