Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says former US President Donald Trump used “bullying” tactics during negotiations for a new North American Free Trade Agreement more than two years ago. Freeland was called on Thursday to respond to her characterization as a frustrating and difficult negotiator in a new memoir by Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. “When you’re threatened by a bully, the answer is to not back down,” he said. “The answer is to be united and be strong.” He initially linked the idea to Ukraine’s resistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but quickly said he was in no way trying to compare the plight of Ukrainians to Canada’s dealings with its largest trading partner. In his book Breaking History, Kushner accused Freeland of deliberately delaying the negotiations and speaking publicly about the talks against the wishes of the White House. He said Canada, with Freeland at the helm, was engaged in “an increasingly frustrating series of negotiations” and “refused to commit to any meaningful changes.” He was also critical of her for abandoning negotiations and holding press conferences with Canadian journalists “saying platitudes like ‘I’m paid in Canadian dollars, not US dollars.’ Freeland did not directly address any of Kushner’s claims, but said Canada’s best asset in these negotiations was a united front in the talks presented by the Conservative premiers and the federal Liberal government. That united front included public statements supporting the anti-Trump government from then-Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “Canada’s Conservatives continue to support the Prime Minister’s efforts to support free trade. The divisive rhetoric and personal attacks from the US government are clearly unhelpful.” Scheer tweeted on June 10, 2018. This came after Trump called Trudeau “very dishonest and weak.” “We will stand side by side with the prime minister and the people of Canada,” Ford said, responding to the same insult. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 25, 2022.
