David Eby says White House visit went well, was urged to take Trump ‘at his word’

B.C. Premier David Eby is in Washington, D.C. with other premiers, to meet with U.S. representatives about President Donald Trump‘s proposed tariffs.

Eby said he had a “good and constructive conversation” at the White House on Wednesday afternoon with Sergio Gor, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office and James Blair, Trump’s deputy chief of staff.

“I think it was positive,” Eby said. “It was a frank conversation. Both Mr. Gore, Mr. Blair, urged premiers to take the president at his word, that he should be taken seriously.”

1:59 B.C. premier meets with counterparts in Washington to talk tariffs

Eby said the premiers were told that Trump has concerns about fentanyl crossing the border into the U.S. and about ensuring the world “respects and treats the United States fairly in terms of trade and other interactions they have with the United States.”

When it comes to tariffs, Eby said the key secretaries in Trump’s administration are still being confirmed and that once those people are in place Trump’s advisors said they could meet with the premiers again.

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“I think, for my key takeaways, premiers delivered a key message around the table,” he added. “Of course, that Canada will never be the 51st state, but that we are keen to work together on shared areas of interest.”

Blair later took to social media to say U.S. officials “never agreed Canada would not be the 51st state.”

With regards to stepped-up patrols or security at the border, Eby said the premiers asked that if U.S. officials have information about the border or fentanyl that they share it.

“We have enforcement tools as well that we’re keen to take action at the provincial and territorial level,” Eby added.

“But we need to have that information to be able to do it.”

Speaking on Wednesday morning before the White House meeting, Eby said the Canadian premiers have had some “really positive discussions” with both Democrats and Republicans.

“The common theme among all the meetings is that the elected representatives from all parties understand the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada, the importance of all of us to understanding what the objectives are in terms of these trade discussions and tariff discussions and the need to clarify that,” Eby said.

“It’s a puzzle for all of us, and certainly it’s a puzzle for us from British Columbia to understand why the Americans would make themselves pay 25 per cent more for aluminum that they can’t get anywhere else.”

1:40 ‘Mutually assured damage’ B.C. premier to talk tariffs with U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

While Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said Canada needs to be more forceful in its approach to Trump’s tariffs, Eby said he is in support of a Team Canada approach and the two countries can work together to tackle the issues without causing economic damage.

“For British Columbia, the last thing we’re considering is further economic integration with the United States right now, and that’s because of the tariff threat,” Eby said.

“What we’re doing is we’re diversifying markets. We’re looking for other customers, everyone from our aluminum producers to our miners, to our forestry companies or agriculture producers, our seafood sales, all of it. And that’s really unfortunate because that’s at a cost of prosperity to British Columbians and Canadians and to Americans alike.

“That’s the message we’re trying to deliver here.”