REPORT: Trump stuck his foot in his mouth in TESTY phone call to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

by The Right Scoop

It took a while, but Trump’s phone call with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau a couple of weeks ago has finally leaked out and it leaves the President looking a little foolish:

CNN – President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a testy phone call on May 25 over new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration targeting steel and aluminum imports coming from Canada, including one moment during the conversation in which Trump made an erroneous historical reference, sources familiar with the discussion told CNN.

According to the sources, Trudeau pressed Trump on how he could justify the tariffs as a “national security” issue. In response, Trump quipped to Trudeau, “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” referring to the War of 1812.

The problem with Trump’s comments to Trudeau is that British troops burned down the White House during the War of 1812. Historians note the British attack on Washington was in retaliation for the American attack on York, Ontario, in territory that eventually became Canada, which was then a British colony.

When asked if the comment was received as a joke, one source on the call said: “To the degree one can ever take what is said as a joke. The impact on Canada and ultimately on workers in the US won’t be a laughing matter.”

The White House and the National Security Council did not immediately return CNN requests for comment.

Trudeau has publicly denounced the “national security” justification for the new tariffs.

“The idea that we are somehow a national security threat to the United States is, quite frankly, insulting and unacceptable,” Trudeau told NBC’s Meet the Press.

Assuming this report is true. It is an ‘exclusive’ report from CNN so maybe we’ll find out eventually if the White House ever disputes it.

But even looking past the foolishness of the quip that some on the right are already defending, the idea of there being a national security issue necessitating a 25% hike in steel tariffs is ridiculous. Those tariffs never should have happened and I’m guessing Trump quipped about Canada burning down the White House because he didn’t really have solid justification.

UPDATE:

Here’s a reporter from the Toronto Star weighing in:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯


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