The way to understand Trump’s trolling is not only through the analytical lens of foreign policy or the cold rationality of economics.
Dec 13, 2024 07:35 IST First published on: Dec 13, 2024 at 07:35 IST
There is a thin line between teasing and trolling, being a hard negotiator and just a plain old bully. Donald Trump, who is set to be US President for a second time, flirts with that line with ease and, his detractors would argue, brazenness. His supporters, on the other hand, contend that Trump’s unconventional approach to diplomacy is part and parcel of the “art of the deal”. So, when Trump threatens long-time ally Canada (along with Mexico) with a 25 per cent tariff hike on imports, it may well just be a tactic. But is suggesting that Canada become the “51st state” and calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the “Governor of Canada” a part of that strategy? And is it a bridge too far?
The logic behind Trump’s jibe is simple: “We are subsiding Canada to the tune of over $100 billion a year… If we are going to subsidise them, let them become a [US] state,” Trump said earlier this year. Is it, then, just a question of dollars and cents? Attacking the Canadian PM and more importantly, the country as a whole may not be the best negotiating tactic — no one likes to be told they are dependent, especially when they are. But perhaps, the way to understand Trump’s trolling is not only through the analytical lens of foreign policy or the cold rationality of economics.
When Trump was first elected in 2016, many of his detractors in the US threatened to “move to Canada”: With its socialised medicine and liberal PM, it was presented as an American paradise of sorts. Perhaps, the belittling of the “neighbour to the north” — while it may serve a diplomatic end — is also a means to get even and get over some hurt sentiments.
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