WASHINGTON — After two months of political consternation over U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for his country's relationship with Canada, the Republican leader's inaugural speech marking his return to the White House on Monday did not mention America's northern neighbour.
Trump's speech also offered no clarity on the status of his threat to impose a 25 per cent across-the-board tariff on Canadian products on day one of his new administration — part of a massive agenda aimed at leading a deeply divided U.S. on a starkly different path.
Federal and provincial officials in Washington were relieved that tariffs on Canadian goods were not part of Trump's speech and were not on a list of policy priorities the White House released Monday. But many said Canada can't afford to be complacent ahead of what could be a brutal hit to the economy.
"It's always good news when you're not mentioned, so I prefer that," said Liberal MP John McKay, who co-chairs the Canada-U.S. interparliamentary group.
In an interview inside the Canadian embassy in Washington, McKay said Ottawa has an opportunity to establish "an agreed upon set of facts, as opposed to nonsense which is currently occupying the public space."
Trump has insisted for weeks that Washington is subsidizing Canada at an annual rate of $100 billion, a claim McKay called "just nonsense."
In his Monday speech in the Capitol Rotunda, Trump focused largely on concerns about immigration at the Mexican border and touched on prosecutions of himself and his supporters. Suggesting he still has an eye on tariffs, Trump said he was going to overhaul the trade system to protect American workers and families.
"Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens," he said during his inaugural address.
A Trump official — who insisted on anonymity while outlining the incoming president's plans during a call with reporters — pointed to a Wall Street Journal report saying Trump would only sign a memorandum telling federal agencies to study trade issues, including alleged unfair trade and currency practices by Canada, Mexico and China.
Trade Minister Mary Ng sought to reassure Canadians on Monday, saying that Ottawa and the provinces have taken a Team Canada approach to convincing Americans that tariffs and restrictions on Canadian goods would only hurt U.S. jobs.
"We are ready and we are prepared," Ng said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she saw opportunity for Canada in Trump's speech when he said he would "declare a national energy emergency" to drive down prices at the pump and "export American energy all over the world."
Smith said Canada can form a "perfect partnership" with the U.S. to provide oil and gas at stable prices, so the Americans can focus on boosting their own energy exports.
"Americans want to have energy dominance globally, and I believe the best way for them to achieve that is for Canada to be a partner in that," she said.
"If their asks are reasonable, then let's meet them halfway."
In a statement issued Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump on his inauguration and cited Canada's efforts to secure the border in response to the Republican leader's demands for a crackdown on migrants and drugs.
"We are strongest when we work together," Trudeau wrote.
"I look forward to working with President Trump, his administration, members of the United States Congress, and officials at the state and local levels to deliver prosperity for our peoples — while protecting and defending the interests of Canadians."
Trump delivered his oath of office inside the U.S. Capitol after cold weather moved the planned ceremony indoors. The event hit some snags, such as the technical difficulties that compelled country music star Carrie Underwood to perform "America the Beautiful" a cappella.
Tech billionaires, world leaders, celebrities and athletes were among those watching Trump give his inaugural address. The crowd included three of the richest men in the world — Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos.
Outside, thousands of people wearing Trump tuques and hats braved the frigid weather to head to Capitol One Arena, where Trump was set to speak later in the day.
Monday was a federal holiday, so many of the people who otherwise would be filling the streets on their way to work opted to stay away from the celebrations, leaving the area largely to Trump’s supporters.
Kenneth Johnson, visiting the capital from Boulder City, Nev., said he believes Trump will stop other countries from "taking advantage" of the U.S. and bring down the cost of groceries.
"We're getting rid of the corruption. We're getting rid of the baloney," he said, citing President Joe Biden's last-minute pardon of administration officials who might face retribution from Trump.
"Our nation's going to be back under control," Johnson said.
Daniel Blake travelled from Connecticut to take in the moment and celebrate with others excited about the promise of smaller government.
"We basically waste our taxpayer money, so I'm excited about that," he said.
Monday's inauguration presented a scene quite different from Trump's first inauguration in 2017, when he painted a bleak picture of what he called "American carnage” — a speech that was overshadowed in the news cycle by his claims about crowd sizes.
The celebrations also offered a stark contrast to the nature of Trump’s departure from the nation's capital four years ago. In the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill attack, Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election and skipped Biden's inauguration.
Biden and his vice-president Kamala Harris, as well as former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, were in attendance on Monday inside the rotunda, as was Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
Other Canadian politicians who travelled to Washington, including Ng and Smith, attended an event at the Canadian Embassy, which sits on Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House.
Last week, Smith refused to sign a joint statement with other premiers and Trudeau that said every possible countermeasure would be on the table to push back against U.S. tariffs.
Smith, who recently travelled to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to meet with the president-elect, broke from the pack by refusing to consider any plan that would include possible levies on oil exports or cutting off energy supplies to the U.S.
— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2025.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
