Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) explained that President Donald Trump is “protecting America’s future” with his use of tariffs and that the ones levied on Canada are a matter of creating an “even playing field” between the two countries.
Mullin was asked on Sunday about Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s assessment of the Trump tariffs against his country when he said Canada’s “old relationship” with the U.S. is “over.” The Oklahoma senator, however, contended that Canada has had its economy subsidized by the U.S. for years, claiming that they are aware of this.
“What President Trump is saying is enough is enough,” Mullin explained on NBC News’s Meet the Press. “If you want to have a relationship with the United States, it’s going to be an even playing field, a two-way street. We want reciprocal tariffs, we want to be treated the same, we want access to your economy like you have access to us, and if you want to have fair and balanced trade, then that’s fine. But our economy is not subsidizing your economy anymore.”
The senator continued by saying the U.S. has protected Canada over the years, with Canada also aiding the U.S. in the wars it has faced. However, Canada now wants to keep its “sweetheart deal” in being allowed to access the U.S. economy, which Mullin assessed Trump is no longer “putting up” with.
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Trump spoke with Carney on Friday in an “extremely productive” phone call, confirming that he and the Canadian prime minister will speak again following Canada’s election on April 28. Carney also described the call as a “very constructive conversation about the relationship between our two countries.”
Beyond Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Trump also introduced a 25% tariff on automobile imports, which he said will “absolutely” be permanent once they go into effect on Wednesday. These tariffs have been celebrated by the United Auto Workers, which UAW President Shawn Fain defended despite criticizing Trump ahead of last year’s election.
