PMB Brennen

@phildstewart Striking assets that are on the ground near the coast isn't going to have much effect. Iran can launch towards the Strait from anywhere in the country, and many of their systems are designed to not be targetable from the air.

MORE - CENTCOM says Trump directed the strikes. “The United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait.”

@dockevinmcleod Then the Carney government should be honest and admit that this is, in fact, a bad-faith relationship with the US. Govt and media should be clear on that with Canadians and stop allowing people like @USAmbCanada to gaslight.

Perspective. Gordie Howe bridge needs to open asap. About $325 million per day in trade is estimated to flow on it. Trump is protecting his friend and donor who owns the Ambassador bridge. That doesn’t change for a couple more years. Just reality. Maybe Canada pulls a Trump and tears up the agreement in a couple years. Estimated toll revenue after expenses is about $50 million per year. 50% of that to an economic development fund controlled by Michigan. Unfair when Canada paid 100% of the cost. Absolutely. $25 million per year is unfair but dwarfs the benefits of $118 billion per year in trade expected to travel over that bridge deck. 55% plus of that is Canada flowing goods to the US. Getting this open is good for Canada. Delay because Trump is a piece of (insert your favorite expletive here) might feel good but ends up giving his friend exactly what he wants - the bridge unopened. It is in our national interest to get this bridge open even if the terms and the way this all came about was unfair and in bad faith from the US. People will have strong opinions. I appreciate the difficult bind we are in and value the pragmatism of the government even though it might seem politically bad.

@FlavioVolpe1 Sad to see you're glazing over the fact that the agreement was already fair, and now the US is getting half of toll revenue despite outlaying $0 for the construction. Why don't you just admit that it was a capitulation? You should expect similar with CUSMA.

It is a simple truth that trade certainty benefits from the opening of this bridge to billions of dollars of monthly two-way trade. A clear opening date on a 100 year asset at the most important commercial border crossing in the world is a good thing. 1/

@jkenney I think it's telling that the Carey govt hasn't even tried to get out in front of this. Maybe they have no good justification for this capitulation and are hoping it will just blow over. If that's the case, it doesn't bode well for CUSMA negotiations.

“Elbows up” looking more like knees down. 🙇

@DavidMcLA Doesn't seem like the fed govt really wants to explain it. They put out a vague, obscure press release on Friday evening and allow the American media to take control of the narrative. This doesn't inspire confidence in the CUSMA negotiations.

This is gonna take some explaining by the prime minister.

@mjf102666 @Gray_Mackenzie We should be getting much more than 50% because the US paid NOTHING for the bridge! So, Canada should accept unfair deals with the US because they are the "largest economy"? Maybe India and Germany should impose "large economy premiums" on the world b/c of their large economies.

@Gray_Mackenzie We are somewhat fortunate to be getting 50% of tolls and a bridge connecting to the biggest economy in the world, no?

Here are some of the details on what Canada had to give up to open the Gordie Howe Bridge, as per a Canadian government source. For the first 15 years, Canada gets 50% of toll profits and the other 50% goes into a regional "economic development fund." What that fund does and who runs, is not clear Under the previous agreement, Canada was to receive 100% of toll profit until they were made whole on the $6.4B they spent to build the bridge, which Michigan/the US contributed $0. The agreement also says it could be 50+ years before Canada was whole, that timeline is now longer. The Americans will have to agree if Canada wants to increase the bridge tolls by more than 10%, or lower them below compared regional averages. That clause helps out the owners of the Ambassador Bridge, the Maroun family, who have donated to the Trump administration and previously to US ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, to try and stop the new bridge from opening #cdnpoli

@hitaskunk Doesn't matter. The bridge opening is totally tainted now because Trump and his stooges got their tentacles on it. The new "deal" is designed to protect the Moroun family, and now it's going to take even longer for Canada to recoup its financing.

Gordie Howe International Bridge is scheduled to open July 27. We’ll see if trump changes his mind by then. Depends on how much the Marouns want to spend, I’d guess cbc.ca/news/canada/wi…

@Gray_Mackenzie Why the f*ck would the Carney govt rush to make a deal like this? Keep it closed for another couple years and wait until this clown administration is out of office! Canada SHOULD get the vast majority of toll revenue until they recoup the cost. What a joke!

@sarobertson_ Can we have more figures in the media and govt pushing back on Hoekstra? Even premiers like Doug Ford and Wab Kinew have played footsies with him, and that's after he launched into an abusive tirade against Dave Patterson, which he meekly accepted. No more softball interviews!

Kory Teneycke on Pete Hoekstra: "He's the ambassador of gaslighting ... We've normally had an amazing group of talented people who have been ambassadors from the US. Now we have a guy who is a walking embarrassment, but at the same time, completely emblematic of this administration."

@sarobertson_ Hoekstra and the Trump admin's problem is that they act like they don't have agency, as if their actions are simply a force of nature. No, idiot, Trump is the one that blew up the deal, and he did it intentionally. But maybe it was for the best b/c Canadians see who you are.

Hoekstra: "We had an agreement. The PM, back in October, November, said we were this close to an agreement on steel, aluminum, oil, uranium, and auto parts, and that deal got blown up. And it didn't get blown up by us."

@CTVVancouver Remove your 232 tariffs, stop lying about Canada, stop being arrogant, and start being respectful. That includes Trump, Lutnick, Bessent, etc. If you're not willing to do that, then get out of our face. You, your boss and his administration have done enough damage already.

Hoekstra says both sides share blame for strained Canada-U.S. relations ctvnews.ca/vancouver/arti…

@sarobertson_ The reality is that most of Carney's Davos speech was just empty talk, and the US knows that. Flattering Trump and trying to compete for his favour is the strategy that world leaders will always run with.

PM Carney says Trump "won the argument" on burden sharing and defence spending in NATO.

@atrupar No world leaders really push back against Trump even though their populations largely hate him. They'll continue to kiss his ass, flatter him, and act like everything is fine. It's sad that we all have to sit here and act like the US administration is normal and rational.

Mark Rutte responds to Trump's meltdown by laughing and heartily shaking his hand as reporters are ushered out of the room

@atrupar Yes, because Trump never makes mistakes. He is the ultimate authority on what is right. 🤡

Q: Can you clarify with you meant with your social media post with respect to Prime Minister Meloni, the restraining order? TRUMP: Oh, I don't know. I think she's a nice person, actually. I didn't put a heavy press on her. I think she made a mistake. She just wasn't there for us, and I wasn't happy about that.

@RepTenney It was done in response to the unjustified, massive tariffs Trump has imposed on key Canadian industries, dummy. THAT is what is not fair trade. And the bans won't be lifted until a deal is made. Although I suspect most people still won't buy it because of your moron president.

Read more here: politico.com/newsletters/we…

Canadian provinces cannot block American wineries, breweries, and distilleries from its market while expecting full access to ours. That is not fair trade. I introduced the CANADA Act to direct USTR to investigate the Canadian provinces’ discriminatory treatment of American alcoholic beverage producers and pursue enforcement under our trade laws.

@Gray_Mackenzie Hoekstra is really making backhanded quips and throwing shade at Canadians right now? Does he think that's going to help the relationship? Seriously, screw this guy. He is an extension of the moron DJT. More than 80% of Canadians agree he is not welcome in the country.

US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says the Trump administration is not meeting or strategizing with Alberta separatists, contradicting claims made by the Alberta Prosperity Project that they have met with senior US officials. Hoekstra also dismissed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling Alberta “natural partner for the US," saying “Canadians get upset about a number of things" #cdnpoli

@JustinWolfers Not sure what happened to you. You went from calling out the reality of the economy to echoing Trump administration narratives. A pity.

60,000 jobs was below expectations—but context matters.⁣ ⁣ Earlier job gains were revised down, and the economy still appears to be creating enough jobs to keep unemployment broadly stable.⁣ ⁣ Disappointing? Yes. A disaster? No.⁣ ⁣ newsletter.platypuseconomics.com/p/the-latest-j…

@RobertFife If it weren't for oil sales, the US would have a trade surplus with Canada. The obsession with eliminating "trade deficits" is silly from an economic perspective. I see the Trump administration continues to truck along using economic illiteracy as their foundational pillar.

Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on the USMCA Joint Review July 1, 2026 WASHINGTON – The Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada(USMCA or “Agreement”) requires the USMCA Free Trade Commission, composed of government representatives of each Party, to conduct a joint review of the Agreement on July 1, 2026. In accordance with the Agreement, the United States, Mexico, and Canada met virtually today to discuss the operation of the USMCA. The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. As a result, the USMCA is not renewed. The United States will continue to engage with Mexico and Canada to address the Agreement’s shortcomings and our trade deficits with these countries. However, the Agreement remains in force pending resolution of these issues or until the Agreement’s termination. As previously announced, the United States will meet with Mexico the week of July 20 for a third round of bilateral negotiations related to the USMCA joint review.

@TomPark1n His goal, apparently, is to make Canadians understand that the US didn't do anything wrong, Canada has behaved badly, and the US is disappointed in them but is willing to give them another chance out of the goodness of their hearts. 🤡

1. The whole world responded in a strongly negative way 2. I don’t know about MAGA’s aim, but MAGA hit Canada harder than any other country 3. Is Hoekstra intentionally insulting our intelligence? What is his goal with these irritating comments?

@sarobertson_ I mean, Trump has said far worse about Canada than the comments Vassy read. It's the general nastiness, disrespect, and attitude that Canada is trash and that Canada owes the US massively. This administration is no friend and no ally to Canada.

Vassy: *reads Donald Trump's statements about Canada* If someone spoke to the US that way, would you be advocating for deeper integration? Hoekstra: We wouldn't go to our largest trading partner and say there's a rupture. (Trump literally ragequit trade talks over an ad)