US Election 2020: Canadians hope for Trump's defeat following NAFTA fail and trade tariffs

With  US Presidential election just around corner, most Canadians are hoping for President Donald Trump’s defeat. Canada is one of America’s closest allies; however, Trump has jeopardised relationship by threatening tariffs on cars and steel.

Recently, US President had even called Canadian PM Justin Trudeau "weak" and "dishonest". Trump’s tone of attacks on Canada in last four years has left a bitter taste and most Canadians will be relieved if Republican leader is defeated in upcoming vember 3 election. 

A former senior foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, Roland Paris said, "He’s been willing to threaten Canada with dire consequences in a way we have never seen before." 

Canada is a trade-dependent country and Trump’s move to rip up rth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and call to impose a 25 percent tariff on auto sector pose an existential threat to nation. According to Associated Press, around 75 percent of Canada’s exports go to US and two countries, along with Mexico, had also reached a new trade agreement. However, soon after, Trump anunced a new tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum. 

READ: Trump Predicts "tremendous Victory" v. 3rd

Canadians say Trump did little to back ir country 

While calling US President an "unpredictable nightmare", Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at University of Toronto, said that government and overwhelming majority of Canadians are looking and hoping for Trump’s defeat. According to a recent poll, only 20 percent of those polled said that y trusted Trump to do what is right regarding world affairs.

Some Canadian analysts have also complained that Trump administration did little to back ir country, including when China detained two Canadians in apparent retaliation for Ottawa’s arrest of a top Chinese tech executive wanted on a US warrant. 

READ: Donald Trump Hails US Special Forces For Rescuing American Citizen Held Host In Niger

When Saudi Arabia had expelled Canada’s ambassador and told its own students to return home after Canadian foreign minister called for greater human rights in Kingdom, US President hadn’t supported Canada even n.

ties between two nations are without parallel anywhere in world but Canada's interests have been hurt and overlooked during Trump presidency. Canadians had expressed hurt when United States had blocked shipments of N95 protective masks from US early in pandemic. A former US ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman called it a "low point" in ir bilateral ties. 

"I just couldn’t imagine living next door to somebody and y are need of something to survive and I’m like, ‘You can’t have it.’ That is just unthinkable. relationship is like family. It’s like a trusted neighbour and we have a president that doesn’t value any of those things. He was so transactional for a win for him,"  US ambassador to Canada had said. 

(With inputs from AP) 

READ: Donald Trump Predicts 'tremendous Victory' And 'red Wave' At A Rally In Michigan

READ: Expect A Lot More Of Same If Trump Wins A Second Term