'Old guy' needs to 'give your head a shake' – Former Canadian PM tells Trump
Jean Chretien has stated that Ottawa ought to collaborate with other nations in light of the US president-elect's comments about potentially absorbing Canada. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Jean Chretien has articulated that Ottawa should “play offense” and collaborate with other nations to counter the actions of the US president-elect.
Chretien, who was Canada’s prime minister from 1993 to 2003, has criticized President-elect Donald Trump regarding his remarks about possibly annexing Canada. On the day of his 91st birthday, he addressed Trump directly in an article for the Globe and Mail, stating: “From one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world… to join the United States?”
Describing Trump's comments about Canada as “totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our very sovereignty,” Chretien emphasized Canada’s resilience, asserting, “We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.” He called on Canadian leaders at all levels to demonstrate greater leadership in response.
Chretien argued that it is insufficient for Canada’s major political parties to simply express their opposition to Trump’s takeover proposals. He insisted that Canada needs to adopt a more proactive stance to “break this cycle” of Trump’s “blackmail.”
He suggested that Canada should address issues such as the influx of illegal firearms from the US and Washington’s failure to acknowledge the Northwest Passage as Canadian waters. To bolster its stance, he proposed that Ottawa align itself with Panama, Mexico, Denmark, and the European Union, which have also faced Trump’s territorial and trade-related demands.
Since his victory in the November 5 presidential election, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of annexing Canada and has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods entering the US, citing unfair trade surpluses. In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, he shared a map displaying the US and Canada merged as a single nation, labeling it ‘United States.’ On the same day, he claimed Washington could use “economic force” to bring Canada under its control.
In response to Trump’s comments, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked on X: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.” Opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre echoed this sentiment, asserting, “Canada will never be the 51st state. Period. We are a great and independent country.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Chretien, who was Canada’s prime minister from 1993 to 2003, has criticized President-elect Donald Trump regarding his remarks about possibly annexing Canada. On the day of his 91st birthday, he addressed Trump directly in an article for the Globe and Mail, stating: “From one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world… to join the United States?”
Describing Trump's comments about Canada as “totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our very sovereignty,” Chretien emphasized Canada’s resilience, asserting, “We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.” He called on Canadian leaders at all levels to demonstrate greater leadership in response.
Chretien argued that it is insufficient for Canada’s major political parties to simply express their opposition to Trump’s takeover proposals. He insisted that Canada needs to adopt a more proactive stance to “break this cycle” of Trump’s “blackmail.”
He suggested that Canada should address issues such as the influx of illegal firearms from the US and Washington’s failure to acknowledge the Northwest Passage as Canadian waters. To bolster its stance, he proposed that Ottawa align itself with Panama, Mexico, Denmark, and the European Union, which have also faced Trump’s territorial and trade-related demands.
Since his victory in the November 5 presidential election, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of annexing Canada and has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods entering the US, citing unfair trade surpluses. In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, he shared a map displaying the US and Canada merged as a single nation, labeling it ‘United States.’ On the same day, he claimed Washington could use “economic force” to bring Canada under its control.
In response to Trump’s comments, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked on X: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.” Opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre echoed this sentiment, asserting, “Canada will never be the 51st state. Period. We are a great and independent country.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
