World·Analysis
Genius dealmaker, or gullible rube? Washington weighs Trump's deal with Canada

The deal that paused Trump's tariff threat contains significant changes. With one glaring gap

Alexander Panetta · CBC News · Posted: Feb 06, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

https://i.cbc.ca/1.7450705.1738810603!/fileImage/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/16x9_1180/usa-trump-tariffs-canada.JPG
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One upon his return to Washington at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Feb. 2, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Donald Trump: Brilliant dealmaker who wrung Canada dry? Or a gullible chump who got duped by old promises repackaged in fresh paint? ... Trying to follow the Washington reaction to the tariff-pausing deal between Canada and the U.S. might give you whiplash.

The reaction here is as polarized as the politics. To the right, Trump is a negotiating genius who achieved big wins. To the left, he's a self-obsessed sucker desperate to declare a win. Just look at Wednesday's caucus meetings on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers served up wildly different takes to reporters, depending on their party.

"The days of America getting walked all over — my friends, those days are gone," said Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican conference. "In just his second week, President Trump's deals with Canada and Mexico show his effectiveness." ... This gusher of praise coursed through Republican Washington, with Trump aide Peter Navarro crowing in a panel with Politico: "Art of the deal … Trust in Trump. He's earned that."

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Here's the painful truth: Most people in Washington opining on this have virtually no clue about Canada's border policy and don't know what they're talking about. That's underscored by the fact that even Canadians who've spent their career working on these issues have been scrambling for details of this deal.

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