Trump responds to Trudeau by invoking the war of 1812

On May 25, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a fractious phone call. It discussed the imposition of new tariffs by the Trump administration on steel and aluminum imports from Canada. During the phone call, Trudeau inquired about how link between tariffs and national security of the United States. To this, Mr. Trump referred to the war of 1812 by saying that Canadians burnt down the White House. Although, it was not the Canadians who burnt down the White House,but the British troops who did that in the war of 1812. The British attack on Washington was in retaliation for the American attack on York in Ontario. Ontario later became part of Canada which was, at the time of the attack, a British colony. The White House and the National Security Council have not yet responded on the matter.

According to Larry Kudlow, National Economic Council Director, accepted that there are tensions between US and Canada and the relations have become strained; however, he believes the relations will be "very good" in the long run. Mr. Trudeau has firmly denounced the claims of national security put forth by the Trump administration. Even entertaining such a notion regarding Canada is insulting and unacceptable to Mr. Trudeau. Furthermore, Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Bob Corker, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to discuss the future of tariffs imposed on Canadian imports coming into the United States. Mr. Corker has been against imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada as it adversely affects the automobile industry of Tennessee, the state that he represents.