It seems that the battle lines have been drawn and both Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump have decided that NAFTA is the battleground on which they will fight for victory in upcoming elections.
Trump has declared that he won’t sign any NAFTA deal this year, which means that he thinks his anti-Canada rants about how greedy Canadians are ripping off America will resonate with his political base and carry the Republicans to victory in the midterm elections this November.
It certainly plays well at the orchestrated Trump rallies, where red-hatted Trump disciples cheer loudly at Trump’s rants, but, it’s a different story from many American governors and mayors, who fear the calamitous impacts of Trump’s tariff war.
WATCH: Freeland: NAFTA negotiations separate from tariff response
Justin Trudeau likewise, is hoping his standing up to Trump in this trade war will continue to score well with Canadian voters.
The overwhelming majority of Canadians don’t like Trump and his bully tactics and so far, they stand behind the prime minister for defending the true north, strong and free.
However, the stay-strong-on-NAFTA strategy that both leaders employ could be overshadowed by other issues.
Immigration policies and the Mueller investigation continue to haunt Trump and carbon taxing and pipelines are significant issues for Trudeau.
Strong NAFTA stances may look good to both leaders today, but in today’s unpredictable political climate, today’s big issue can quickly become yesterday’s news.
Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.