Obama Pokes Fun at Trump's Trade War With 'Evil Empire' Canada at Ohio Rally

Former U.S. president Barack Obama took aim at the Trump administration's tariff policy on Saturday, ridiculing the idea of a trade war with Canada, one of the United States' longest-standing allies.

Speaking at a Cleveland rally for Democratic candidates in Ohio, Obama said, "The big trade war he's starting now is with that well-known evil empire: Canada." He went on to joke about the country's contributions to American life. "These are the people who gave us maple syrup and Martin Short," he said, adding: "They're the nicest people."

Obama described Canadians as "our friendly neighbours to the north" and questioned why Donald Trump would "pick a fight with them."

The former president has been campaigning for Democrats ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. He also criticized Trump's tariffs more broadly, saying they have had the negative effect many expected, with American consumers bearing the brunt of rising costs.

Those higher costs have weighed on Republican prospects in the midterms, particularly in border states. On Friday, Trump announced that he plans to lift tariffs on some Canadian products.

Despite that signal, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on CBC's Power & Politics that Ottawa does not expect a deal before the Nov. 3 vote.

The two countries have been trading retaliatory tariffs since Trump launched his levy campaign last year. The measures were ostensibly meant to combat alleged fentanyl trafficking and trade imbalances. Trade talks between the two sides broke down in August.

Trump has regularly used Canada as a target in his own campaign rally speeches. At a stop in Highland Heights, Ky., on Oct. 17, he said, "At some point, we're making a deal that's gonna be amazing." He added: "But for years we've lost billions and billions of dollars, and they just felt so emboldened."

The crowd cheered when Trump called former prime minister Justin Trudeau a "loser." He then turned to Trudeau's successor, Mark Carney. "Your current guy's good … he's a nice guy, but he's not nice when it comes to trade," Trump said. "They're learning and they're suffering."