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Trump adviser hopes Canada fentanyl dispute will be solved by end of March (www.reuters.com)

submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/news@lemmy.world

30 comments fedilink hide all child comments

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday he was hopeful a dispute with Canada over accusations of the deadly fentanyl opioid entering the U.S. across its northern border could be resolved by the end of March.

His comments on ABC News's "This Week" raise the possibility that tariffs due to be reimposed by U.S. President Donald Trump at the end of the month could be stayed further.

In reality, Canada is responsible for a minuscule proportion of drug smuggling into the United States and it wasn't immediately clear what progress Hassett was referring to.

Democratic U.S. Senator Adam Schiff from California, who appeared after Hassett on ABC, called the adviser's comments "incomprehensible."

all 34 comments

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[–] paddythegeek@lemmy.ca 52 points 11 months ago (2 children)

While fentanyl is deadly serious, the “crisis” of it flowing over the US border is the made-up emergency on which Trump bases his legitimate authority to levy these tariffs. Without an emergency he would have no legal basis to fuck around like this without violating our trade agreements (which he signed last time around), so it’s part of the narrative, regardless of any amount of truth to it.

The “crisis” will end only when they determine it is no longer useful to pursue these tactics and switch to some other type of fuckery. It’s just as likely that he will declare them resolved as a face-saving measure so he can stop the bleeding at home. Art of the deal!

[–] sloppychops@lemmy.ca 21 points 11 months ago

"Only an idiot could have agreed to these trade deals!"

It's rare, but occasionally he'll truth shart.

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 39 points 11 months ago

"It'll be gone by April!" - Trump on COVID

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 34 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The dispute isn't about fentanyl. It's obvious through basic scrutiny of the argument and by Trump's actions. Stop entertaining that blatant lie.

[–] docus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 33 points 11 months ago (2 children)

There is no fentanyl dispute. Just an unfounded accusation from one side. Just like there was no shouting match in the whitehouse, only one sided shouting. Sick of “journalism”

[–] Bonesince1997@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I think these people stopped being journalists a while ago. I don't know what service they are performing now.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 11 months ago

This is no way means that Trump-favoring media outlets won't simply paint this as an enormous win on both fentanyl and trade to domestic supporters.

[–] distantsounds@lemmy.world 24 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They are missing the oblivious solution…if they stop testing for fentanyl, then there won’t be anymore fentanyl deaths. Simple as

[–] painfulasterisk1@lemmy.ml 6 points 11 months ago

... Or add Clorox.

[–] ghostrider2112@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

As an American, I’m betting it is a ruse. I bet the real issue is Americans that get cheaper prescription drugs in Canada and Mexico. But, the administration would never admit that.

[–] resin85@lemmy.ca 11 points 11 months ago (3 children)

In 2024, the US seized 43 pounds of fentanyl coming from Canada. Nearly all of that was for personal use. There's nothing more Canada needs to do. Right wing Americans are hopelessly deluded. And they wonder why Canadians are booing their anthem.

https://www.factcheck.org/2025/01/illegal-immigration-and-fentanyl-at-the-u-s-northern-and-southwest-borders/

[–] sloppychops@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago

Not to mention illegal firearms and migrants. I believe that in all cases, the contraflow is much worse.

I did read recently that the trade in illegal Canadian eggs being smuggled into the US is booming, however.

[–] ghostrider2112@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yes, the fact that we let exponentially more into Canada is why it can be considered a ruse. Because it’s bullshit.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

Yup.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-police-cocaine-investigtion-1.7437364 ... 835-kilogram (1841 lbs) of cocaine

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-complaints-drugs-guns-border-1.7457605 ... Quantity of drugs seized by Canadian officials at U.S. border has doubled in 2 years

https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/drug-bust-at-canada-u-s-border-cbsa-seizes-228kg-of-narcotics ... 186kg (410 lbs) of methamphetamine and 42kg (93 lbs) of cocaine

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Little d talking about fentanyl was nothing but a bullshit excuse to do whatever the fuck he's doing with his market manipulation.

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Too late, companies already layer off people and are already shifting to US manufacturers. And so in the coming months and years the price of things will just spiral up to the moon.

[–] CobraChicken3000@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

Can we just lie to them and say we got none to spare. This, solving this "crisis."

[+] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -10 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The reason trump is trying to force his Mexico strategy on Canada is the plan when he divided Mexico and Canada was probably for Mexico to cave.

Instead Trudeau did and Mexico stood firm.

trump was always going to attack the weak link, he just didn't expect it to be it to be Canada. Then had no plans on how to claim the US Canadian border was dangerous.

[–] madscience@lemmy.world 18 points 11 months ago (1 children)

How did Canada, or "Trudeau"as you put it, cave? We put in place retaliatory tariffs and trump caved, as far as I can tell

[+] givesomefucks@lemmy.world -9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Weeks ago...

When trump tried to divide them, Trudeau tried to play ball.

That's why trump stopped talking about Mexico and attacked Canada. Eventually leading to Canada putting in place retaliatory tariffs...

If they'd have stood with Mexico since January, it wouldn't have gotten to this point.

It's like a drunk driver celebrating they survived the crash, you could have just never put yourself in that position in the first place buddy

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

When trump tried to divide them, Trudeau tried to play ball.

Like a mature adult who wants to explore all options to avoid harm to his country. That's not a sign of "weakness."

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And that would make sense if negotiating with a rational person...

Do you think trump is a normal president that will listen to logic and facts?

Because buddy....

I don't know where you and Trudeau have been the last checks notes decade to still think that. Hell, even before his entrance in politics, it wasn't exactly surprising.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

We didn't lose anything by trying. We made no significant concessions that we now have to draw back.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

We didn’t lose anything by trying.

It legitimized his rhetoric and emboldened him...

Now Canada has admitted an imaginary problem exists and has taken steps to stop something that isn't happening.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Only MAGAs believe that. Any remotely sane person sees the situation as you do, as evidenced by the fact that Canada is now implementing counter-tariffs and the only people wailing about how unfair it is are said MAGAs. Who would never have been satisfied or influenced by anything we did, as it turns out.

Being known as mature adults is a good thing.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So...

This has been you agreeing with me the whole time?

You're exhausting bud...

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 1 points 11 months ago

You said Trudeau shouldn't have tried to negotiate. I disagree with that.

[–] sloppychops@lemmy.ca 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nice. A clairvoyant on the internet. Very original.

Trump had made it very clear since before his inauguration that he would be targeting Mexico, Canada, and China in his crusade against fentanyl.

Coincidentally, those three nations are also the US' largest trading partners, where the only legal avenue for applying tarrifs within the framework of his own USMCA (the greatest trade deal, maybe ever!) is to declare a national emergency. 'Tarrif', after all, is his favourite word. Right after 'make', 'that' and 'large'. He's been obsessed with tarrifs since the 80s. Any excuse will do. And 'fentanyl from Canada' is the excuse that he burped up after a particularly greasy bucket of chicken.

This trade policy by royal decree has been enabled by a national and bipartisan apathy to the abuse of legal loopholes and a general contempt toward foundational principles like the separation of powers. It's all very obvious. We don't have to guess at trumps motives or strategy here. He has rambled about it incoherently for years at this point. Subtlety is not one of his strong points.

That's not to mention the influence of the First Lady, Lord Ketamine himself.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Trump has also made it very clear that this isn't really about fentanyl, that's just a convenient excuse (he can't impose tariffs without congress unless it's for "national security.")

His real purpose seems to be some combination of "if I hurt Canada then that makes America stronger somehow" and "if I hurt Canada enough then they'll give up and submit to being conquered by America outright." He's said both of these things, and Trump is too cheese-brained to be an effective liar; when he shows you what he's really like you should believe him.

It's a war of aggression, essentially. Fentanyl is just his Gulf of Tonkin.

[–] sloppychops@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

Right. Obvious to most except maybe those with only two brain cells strung together with spray cheese.