U.S. ambassador to Canada rejects Trump's '51st state' proposal amid tariff dispute

Ver U.S. ambassador to Canada rejects Trump's '51st state' proposal amid tariff dispute - Diario As en Dailymotion

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00:00We're now going to hear from each of the three nominees and then we'll follow it up with

00:07my colleague, Senator Kaine referenced ways in which negotiation tactics have profoundly

00:12unsettled our relationship with Canada.

00:15Would you agree that Canada is a sovereign state and should not be even jokingly referred

00:20to as the 51st state?

00:25The Canada is a sovereign state.

00:27Yes.

00:28As far as the president and the relationship between the former prime minister and Canada,

00:35the characteristics and nature of that relationship, I don't know.

00:40Okay.

00:41I view it as a positive, sir, that we have a new...

00:42To meet you the other day, we discussed fentanyl overdoses in Pennsylvania.

00:48I find it very troubling that we are seeing this, our national anthem booed at ice hockey

00:56games, and that the country where we've got the longest undefended border in the world,

01:06where we have had such a positive relationship over the years is now viewing America in the

01:13way they are because of this president's statements.

01:18They find it particularly offensive that he's talking about Canada as the 51st state.

01:24And I don't blame him.

01:25I've got to be honest.

01:27So how do you...

01:30I appreciated your opening statement and your talking about the importance of Canada to

01:36the United States, but how do you see approaching turning around that negative relationship

01:44that has developed because of the president's statements, and how do you envision addressing

01:51tariff issues?

01:52That's a great question.

01:55Obviously, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about that myself, pending the confirmation

02:01by the Senate of having to go there and being kind of the tip of the spear on this.

02:08We have cooperated with Canada on so many things.

02:12In Michigan, it's the Great Lakes.

02:14That's important to us.

02:15It's trade.

02:16It's business.

02:17My experience on the Intel Committee, it is about NATO and those types of things.

02:22Canada's part of Five Eyes.

02:24So we have a great history of working together, and we know how to make this work.

02:28We now have to make and take that and say, we know how to make this work.

02:33Now let's do it and apply our experience to the priorities that the president has outlined.

02:41Freer, fairer trade, so that we can actually grow the business relationship between Canada

02:48and the U.S.