Obama mocks Canada as 'evil empire' in trade war jab at Trump

Former President Barack Obama told a crowd in Cleveland on Saturday that the current administration is waging a trade war with Canada, a nation he jokingly labeled a well-known evil empire. The remark came during a rally supporting Democratic candidates in Ohio, a state where rising costs from tariffs have become a focal point for voters.

Obama described Canadians as friendly neighbors to the north and questioned why the current president would pick a fight with them. He noted that Canada provided the United States with maple syrup and actor Martin Short, calling the people of the country the nicest he has met.

The former president has been campaigning for Democrats ahead of the November 3 midterms. He argued that the tariffs have produced the negative effects many predicted, with American consumers absorbing the higher costs. These rising prices have weighed on Republican prospects in border states, where the impact of the trade dispute is most visible.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he plans to lift tariffs on some Canadian products. Despite this signal, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on CBC's Power & Politics that Ottawa does not expect a finalized deal before the vote. The two nations have engaged in retaliatory tariffs since Trump launched his levy campaign last year, citing alleged fentanyl trafficking and trade imbalances.

Trade talks between the two sides broke down in August. Trump has regularly targeted Canada in his own campaign speeches. In Highland Heights, Ky., on October 17, he stated that he was making a deal that would be amazing. He claimed the United States had lost billions of dollars over the years and that Canadian officials felt emboldened.

During that same stop, the crowd cheered when Trump called former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a loser. He then addressed Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying the current leader was a nice guy but not nice when it came to trade. Trump added that Canada is learning and suffering under the current trade measures.