Obama Calls Canada 'Evil Empire' as Trump Lifts Some Tariffs

Former President Barack Obama labeled Canada a "well-known evil empire" on Saturday while mocking the Trump administration's trade strategy.

Speaking to a crowd in Cleveland, Ohio, Obama ridiculed the notion of a trade war with the nation's northern neighbor. He noted that Canada provided the United States with maple syrup and the comedian Martin Short. "They're the nicest people," Obama said, asking why the current administration would pick a fight with such friendly neighbors.

The former president has been traveling to support Democratic candidates ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. He argued that Trump's tariffs have raised costs for American consumers, a development that has hurt Republican polling in border states. On Friday, Trump announced plans to remove tariffs on specific Canadian goods. This move follows a period of rising prices that many analysts linked to the new levies.

The two nations have exchanged retaliatory tariffs since Trump began his levy campaign last year. The measures were originally justified by allegations of fentanyl trafficking and trade imbalances. Negotiations between Washington and Ottawa collapsed in August. Trump has frequently targeted Canada during his own rallies. At an event in Highland Heights, Kentucky, on Oct. 17, he claimed the U.S. had lost billions of dollars in trade. He called former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a "loser" and said current Prime Minister Mark Carney was "not nice when it comes to trade."

Canadian officials remain cautious about the timing of the tariff relief. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's trade minister, told CBC's Power & Politics that Ottawa does not expect a finalized deal before the Nov. 3 vote. LeBlanc stated that while the U.S. has signaled a shift, concrete agreements are still missing. The U.S. deadline for certain tariff changes approaches this week. Obama's comments underscored the Democratic argument that the tariff fight has become a central economic issue for voters.

The next major step in the trade negotiations is scheduled for early November. Both governments are expected to hold further talks before the election. Obama will continue his campaign stops in key swing states. The White House has not released a detailed timeline for the final implementation of the lifted tariffs on Canadian products.