During a fundraising event on Wednesday, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance discussed the recent trade agreement with Canada, stating that Prime Minister Mark Carney attempted to “out-tough” President Donald Trump. He praised his longtime friend, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, for being an effective supporter for Canada.
In an audio clip from the Southampton, N.Y. fundraiser, shared with The Canadian Press by an attendee, Vance described Carney as a “very sweet guy” with whom he has a good rapport.
However, Vance remarked that Carney “comes in and puffs his chest out and says, ‘I’m going to, like, out-tough Donald Trump.”‘
“It’s amusing because Carney portrays this as a victory for Canada when, in reality, they concede on many issues,” Vance commented to the audience.
He further noted the “quietly behind-the-scenes” role of Jivani, who has maintained a positive relationship with U.S. officials and has been a considerable advocate.
Describes Poilievre as a ‘non-entity’ in trade discussions
Vance also mentioned Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party in Canada, labeling him a “non-entity” in the ongoing negotiations.
When asked by a reporter if Canada can rely on Trump to uphold a trade agreement, Conservative Leader Poilievre stated that ‘the only thing that’s protecting us from tariffs on a large part of our economy is the fact that we do have the original deal negotiated by Brian Mulroney.’ He also suggested leveraging a strategic energy and mineral reserve for long-term advantage.
The White House and the vice-president’s office have not yet responded to inquiries for comment.
On Tuesday night, Trump announced a last-minute agreement to postpone new tariffs on certain Canadian goods for three days.
This temporary delay came after a phone conversation with Carney earlier that day, following weeks of heightened negotiations.
On Wednesday, Trump described the arrangement as a “good deal for everybody,” emphasizing that his administration currently has a “very nice relationship with leadership.”
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Reports indicate that the agreement is likely to result in the U.S. lowering sector-specific tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles. In exchange, Carney has advised premiers to restock liquor stores with American beverages.
Details regarding other concessions from Canada remain unclear. Trump asserted that the deal would eliminate tariffs on American farmers altogether.
Canada-U.S. Minister Dominic LeBlanc returned to Washington on Thursday for discussions with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as the clock ticks down to a Saturday 12:01 a.m. deadline to finalize the agreement.
U.S. aims to ‘alter Canadian behavior’
At the fundraiser for young Republican supporters, Vance remarked that Trump is not inclined to “bend over to make Canada happy,” yet he “recognized an opportunity to secure some wins for the country.”
Vance stated that Trump will not “bend over to make Canada happy.” (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)
“The ultimate goal is to change Canada’s behavior,” Vance explained. “While they haven’t completely shifted, there has certainly been a movement in a Trumpian direction.”
The relationship between Canada and the U.S. was significantly affected by Trump’s return to the presidency last year, which involved the imposition of tariffs and repeated threats of annexation.
Trump’s interactions with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were notoriously rocky and contributed to Trudeau’s eventual resignation.
Vance noted that Greer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are leading the discussions with Canada, but he has taken a more active role due to his connection with Jivani.
Jivani is ‘quietly inserting himself’ into negotiations
“Interestingly, Jivani has been quietly inserting himself into these negotiations,” Vance shared with the attendees.
Conservative MP Jamil Jivani is shown speaking at an Ottawa event earlier this year. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
Axios reported that Donald Trump Jr., along with the sons of Lutnick and senior Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, attended the event.
Vance mentioned he asked Jivani why he was assisting the Liberal government, to which the MP replied that he is concerned about Canada’s success.
Vance noted that Jivani has effectively advocated for mutually beneficial areas, such as energy and automobile tariffs.
The vice-president and Jivani have been friends since their time at Yale, and Jivani has previously discussed their close friendship, including speaking at Vance’s wedding.
Vance describes Jivani as ‘a very good dude’
On Wednesday, Vance acknowledged their strong bond, referring to Jivani as “a very good dude.”
Jivani has made several trips to Washington, including an April meeting with Canadian business leaders and Greer.
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In February, during a previous solo diplomatic visit to Washington, Jivani met with both Vance and Greer and also had a brief conversation with Trump at the White House.
At that time, Jivani expressed his desire to assist Carney’s efforts in negotiating a new trade agreement with the Trump administration.
Jivani’s outreach to the Trump administration has led to some tension within the Canadian Conservative Party. Poilievre has consistently demanded that any agreement with Trump should be free of tariffs.
Poilievre, who did not visit Washington during a trip to the U.S. in March, publicly criticized Jivani after the latter’s first visit to D.C. when Jivani stated in an interview that he believed Canadians’ reactions to the trade war were akin to an “anti-American hissy fit.”
“He represents himself, while I represent the party,” Poilievre stated on February 17.