USA

Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton is cautioning not to read too much into the more positive tone struck by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney following Friday’s phone call between the two, but said if the commander-in-chief is a fan of the Liberal leader, a smoother bilateral relationship could be possible.

“I don’t think you should over-conclude on the basis of one telephone call, but both sides tried to give a positive reading to it,” Bolton said in an interview on CTV Power Play with Vassy Kapelos, when asked how much Canadians should read into Trump’s apparent change in tone.

Mark Carney would like nothing better than to make this election all about Trump. That way we don’t get to question his policies or his record. He skates in on a public relations campaign that claims his experience would allow him to “handle Donald Trump!” Good luck, Mark. You would be first.

WASHINGTON — In an explosive, sweeping interview, former senior State Department investigator David Asher—closely connected to the Trump administration’s financial and national security apparatus—warned that Canadian banks could soon face a “new universe” of regulatory scrutiny, including from the U.S. Treasury, due to the recent designation of Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

h/t Armaros

Donald Trump has said he “couldn’t care less” if carmakers raise prices after his 25% tariffs on foreign-made vehicles comes into effect.

Some analysts have warned that Trump’s charges on businesses importing vehicles could lead to the temporary shutdown of significant car production in the US, increase prices, and strain relations with allies.

But speaking to NBC News on Saturday, the US president said he hoped foreign carmakers raise prices as it means “people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty”.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she had a “meaningful fireside chat” with U.S. media personality Ben Shapiro during a non-profit conservative fundraiser in Florida this week, where she says she advocated for tariff-free trade between Canada and the United States.

Smith was a featured speaker at the PragerU 2025 East Coast Gala in Florida on March 27, where she shared the stage with Ben Shapiro, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” and editor-in-chief of U.S. media company The Daily Wire. She said she talked about the current trade tensions between Canada and the United States, and shared Alberta’s “message” with a large American audience.

The most sobering thing I’ve read in the past couple of weeks comes from Timothy Snyder, the renowned historian of Ukraine. Snyder, who’s been studying modern-day authoritarianism for years, draws a strong parallel between how Vladimir Putin sees Ukraine and how Donald Trump views Canada.

Most jarringly, Snyder argues that Trump is preparing the ground not just for an economic assault on Canada, but for actual war. Trump has spread the ideas that Canada is not a real country, that it’s been “ripping off” the United States for decades, and (worst of all) killing Americans by allowing fentanyl to pour over the border.