Trump’s outrage toward Canada ‘super childish behaviour,’ says U.S. Democratic senator

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says U.S. President Donald Trump’s outrage toward Canada over an anti-tariff advertisement by the Ontario government is “a temper tantrum” that will blow over — but it’s embarrassing for the United States.

“It’s just one more example of super childish behaviour by the president,” Kaine said in an exclusive Canadian interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday morning. “The ad was a very fair ad."

Canada’s trade discussions with the U.S. have been plunged into peril after Ontario aired an advertisement featuring audio clips by then-president Ronald Reagan, who criticized tariffs during an address he delivered in 1987.

The advertisement appears to have deeply angered Trump, who blasted Canada on Saturday afternoon on social media and promised to increase “the Tariff on Canada” by 10 per cent — though it’s unclear which tariff (or tariffs) he’s referring to.

“Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing it was a FRAUD,” the U.S. president said, further arguing that Reagan “LOVED” tariffs for national security purposes and the economy.

Just a few days earlier, Trump said he was terminating all trade discussions with Canada over the advertisement, reiterating that it was fake and fraudulent.

Kaine, who taped the interview with host Rosemary Barton less than an hour before Trump’s 10 per cent tariff threat, said the president’s trade war “is a self-inflicted wound on the American economy. So we’ve got to get back to the table."

Trump’s anger “won’t last," he said. "But it’s embarrassing for the United States that we have a president who lets an ad rattle him so deeply.”

On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he will pull the advertisement from U.S. screens after this weekend. The advertisement aired during Saturday night's World Series game, meaning millions more Americans saw the ad on their screens since it first began running in mid-October.

Kaine said what will bring Trump and his team back to trade talks is “less likely to be a Canadian negotiating move. What’s going to get them back to the table is the undeniable economic reality.”

Earlier this month, Kaine and some of his Senate colleagues, including Republican Sen. Rand Paul, introduced legislation to terminate the national emergency that Trump has invoked to justify his tariffs on Canada, Mexico and other countries.

Kaine said when he challenged Canadian tariffs earlier this year in April — an endeavour that ultimately failed — Republicans told him they generally agree tariffs are bad but they weren’t sure if his prediction of economic damage would be correct.

“I think we will get Republican senators on this vote in October, in addition to the four Republicans who voted with us in April,” Kaine said.

There’s also a pending court case. Trump’s team has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling by the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals that found Trump’s move to impose broad-based tariffs on Canada, Mexico and dozens of other countries was unconstitutional.