Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has developed a reputation for delivering the Trump administration’s message with an unusually eloquent, and frequently sarcastic, edge, and Canada was the latest target.
In a CNBC interview Monday, Bessent laughed off the idea that Ottawa could meaningfully pressure the United States as the two countries escalate their trade war. The exchange came just a week after Washington and Ottawa imposed 50 percent tariffs on one another following failed negotiations to come to a trade agreement the Trump administration found satisfactory.
Bessent argued that Canada cannot realistically go “tit for tat” with an economy roughly 13 times larger, dismissing the idea that Ottawa could pose any serious threat to the United States. "What, are they going to take their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sick them on us?" Bessent joked.
🔥 LMFAO! Sec. Scott Bessent just DROPPED THE MIC on Canada. Brutal.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 31, 2026
CNBC: Are we in a tit-for-tat trade war with Canada?
BESSENT: I don't think you can be in a tit-for-tat with someone who's 13 times larger than you.
CNBC: They say they're doing OK
BESSENT: What else are… pic.twitter.com/VbHATNopEA
"Are you meeting with your Canadian counterpart here?" CNBC's Sara Eisen asked.
"I am."
"Because, I guess, markets are wondering if we're now in a tit-for-tat trade war with Canada," she said.
"Well, I don't think you can be in a tit-for-tat with someone who's 13 times larger than you are," Bessent replied. "They say they're doing okay. What else are they going to say? Look, I think this is very unfortunate that Prime Minister Carney has turned this into a political shouting match."
"I mean, we're not at war with Canada. How are we going to be at war with Canada? What, are they going to take their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sick them on us?" Bessent asked. "He came to power on an anti-American, anti-Trump agenda. He was 20 points behind in the polls. And then he started this. And it's unfortunate that he's not doing what's best for the Canadian people. He's doing what is best for the Liberal Party, what's best for Mark Carney. And in the long run, the Canadian people are going to see through that."
🚨 OMG. Secretary Scott Bessent just bodied the crap out of Canada!
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 31, 2026
"At war with Canada? What are they gonna do, take their 2 submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sick 'em on us!?"
😭😭
"[Carney] came to power on an anti-American, anti-Trump agenda. He was 20 points behind in… pic.twitter.com/2WOoco6GPH
The exchange came less than a week after Canada vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, matching the Trump administration’s new 50 percent tariffs on about the same value of Canadian imports after trade negotiations collapsed. Canada’s counter-tariffs, ranging from 15 to 50 percent, are scheduled to take effect on September 8.
Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne: “Today I’m announcing that Canada will match the United States tariffs dollar for dollar, rate for rate. Effective September 8th, Canada will impose counter-tariffs of up to 15%, 25%, or 50% on $27.6B of imports from the… pic.twitter.com/ud4PDQQOSJ
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) August 25, 2026
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats desperately try to stop it.
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