logo
Trying to find sense in the nonsensical

Trying to find sense in the nonsensical

Opinion
What does Trump want?
Figuring out U.S. President Donald Trump is a full-time job. In this joyless season of trade talks with his administration, Canadians have had no shortage of role models to choose from in getting a deal.
From 'elbows up' (Prime Minister Carney), to 'elbows down' (Alberta Premier Danielle Smith), to enticement (Britain's royal visit invitation), to accommodation (Mexico's military deployment on their U.S. border to interdict drugs and migrants), to flattery (NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte calling Trump 'Daddy'). Nothing seems to work, at least for long. Negotiating with Trump is like nailing Jello to the wall. It seems firm enough but never sticks.
Evan Vucci / The Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after arriving at Joint Base Andrews, July 15.
Make America Great Again (MAGA) — his signature political philosophy — offers little guidance. It is a reservoir of resentments, a toxic tonic of grievance and vengeance shaken, not stirred, by the president's regular forays of fantastical diversions, U-turns, and just plain lies. He is at once both the lead missionary and faithful servant of MAGA.
Simply put, Trump's political identity has no fixed address to serve as a rational basis for negotiation. But he does have fixed ideas. An idée fixe in politics and life is an obsession. A dominating idea or desire that animates the central core of someone's personality and actions. This gets us closer to understanding Trump and what Canada — and the world — is up against.
Trump has had a fixed idea about tariffs and trade deficits for decades. That idea is the U.S. is getting 'ripped off' by free trade, losing hundreds of millions of dollars in trade deficits (now billions) and blocked from doing business in other countries.
He said this back in the late 1980s and '90s. He's still saying it. So, when Carney mused out loud last week that 'there's not a lot of evidence right now' that the U.S. will agree to any trade deal without tariffs, this should be disappointing but not surprising. Stepping back from one's obsessions is no easy task, personally in life or professionally especially in politics, with its fishbowl lifestyle.
Trump's fixed idea about tariffs sits alongside his only other economic fixed idea: tax cuts. His 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' signed into law on their Independence Day, legislated the biggest tax cuts in American history; many aimed at business and rich Americans. Trump speaks in superlatives, all CAPS, to convey that everything he says or does is uber-important.
This is the window into three other idées fixes that drove him to run and win a second presidential election (no, the one he lost was not stolen). And that visibly govern his behaviour in the White House today.
First, to make money for him and his family by monetizing the office of president of the United States. Forbes estimated his family's net worth in March this year was US$1.2 billion higher than a year ago. From real estate to crypto currency to Trump-branded merch, he is raking it in.
Second, punish enemies and detractors at every turn using the power of government to bring lawsuits, dismantle agencies, fire independent officials, make financial threats, and financially sanction universities and institutions with which he disagrees.
Third, keep himself as the centre of attention and power. 'I, alone, can fix it', Trump proclaimed in 2016 as he accepted the Republican nomination for the first time. Every Oval Office 'freak-out' with foreign leaders, or late-night social media post, shows he has not wavered in this obsession with the personal.
Weekday Evenings
Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening.
This speaks to Canada's dilemma. Our idée fixe is that, in the end, Trump will capitulate to reason and give Canada the free trade deal we deserve. That we can somehow convince Trump to ignore his idees fixes and negotiate a tariff-free deal because we've done so in the past and it is so obviously the right thing. 'Canada, alone, can have a deal,' we seem to say to ourselves, ignoring the trade tumult around us.
Despite the charge he is now 'elbows down,' the prime minister is signalling reality rather than retreat. Visiting the White House in May, Carney said both Canada and the U.S. were in the process of 'redefining that relationship of working together.' There is no 'back to what it was' in that construct.
As for Trump? His happy place is winning. But he never seems happy about it. Obsessions are like that. They never let go.
Restless, Trump needs and wants more.
David McLaughlin is a former clerk of the executive council and cabinet secretary in the Manitoba government.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church
Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church

Vancouver Sun

time15 minutes ago

  • Vancouver Sun

Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church

Islamic State-backed rebels attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. 'The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. 'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP. 🚨🕊️ ALERTE | Au Congo, une ATTAQUE menée par des INSURGÉS affiliés à l'État ISLAMIQUE contre une ÉGLISE de Komanda a fait AU MOINS 40 morts cette nuit. Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, U.N.-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda. — Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church
Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church

Edmonton Journal

time15 minutes ago

  • Edmonton Journal

Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church

Article content Islamic State-backed rebels attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. Article content Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. Article content Article content 'The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Article content Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. Article content At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. Article content 🚨🕊️ ALERTE | Au Congo, une ATTAQUE menée par des INSURGÉS affiliés à l'État ISLAMIQUE contre une ÉGLISE de Komanda a fait AU MOINS 40 morts cette nuit. — L'Écho Chrétien (@lechochretien) July 27, 2025 Article content Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Article content Article content Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, U.N.-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Article content Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Article content Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. Article content The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. Article content In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Article content The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda. Article content

Trump's tariff threats against Canada face legal hurdles ahead of August deadline
Trump's tariff threats against Canada face legal hurdles ahead of August deadline

Vancouver Sun

timean hour ago

  • Vancouver Sun

Trump's tariff threats against Canada face legal hurdles ahead of August deadline

Donald Trump's plan to realign global trade faces its latest legal barrier this week in a federal appeals court — and Canada is bracing for the U.S. president to follow through on his threat to impose higher tariffs. While Trump set an Aug. 1 deadline for countries to make trade deals with the United States, the president's ultimatum has so far resulted in only a handful of frameworks for trade agreements. Deals have been announced for Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom — but Trump indicated last week that an agreement with Canada is far from complete. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We don't have a deal with Canada, we haven't been focused on it,' Trump told reporters Friday. Trump sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney threatening to impose 35 per cent tariffs if Canada doesn't make a trade deal by the deadline. The White House has said those duties would not apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Canadian officials have also downplayed expectations of a new economic and security agreement materializing by Friday. 'We'll use all the time that's necessary,' Carney said last week. Countries around the world will also be watching as Trump's use of a national security statute to hit nations with tariffs faces scrutiny in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled in May that Trump does not have the authority to wield tariffs on nearly every country through the use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977. The act, usually referred to by the acronym IEEPA, gives the U.S. president authority to control economic transactions after declaring an emergency. No previous president had ever used it for tariffs and the U.S. Constitution gives power over taxes and tariffs to Congress. The Trump administration quickly appealed the lower court's ruling on the so-called 'Liberation Day' and fentanyl-related tariffs and arguments are set to be heard in the appeal court on Thursday. The hearing combines two different cases that were pushing against Trump's tariffs. One involves five American small businesses arguing specifically against Trump's worldwide tariffs, and the other came from 12 states pushing back on both the 'Liberation Day' duties and the fentanyl-related tariffs George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin called Trump's tariff actions a 'massive power grab.' Somin, along with the Liberty Justice Center, is representing the American small businesses. 'We are hopeful — we can't know for sure obviously — we are hopeful that we will continue to prevail in court,' Somin said. Somin said they are arguing that IEEPA does not 'give the president the power to impose any tariff he wants, on any nation, for any reason, for as long as he wants, whenever he feels like it.' He added that 'the law also says there must be an emergency and an unusual and extraordinary threat to American security or the economy' — and neither the flow of fentanyl from Canada nor a trade deficit meet that definition. U.S. government data shows a minuscule volume of fentanyl is seized at the northern border. The White House has said the Trump administration is legally using powers granted to the executive branch by the Constitution and Congress to address America's 'national emergencies of persistent goods trade deficits and drug trafficking.' There have been 18 amicus briefs — a legal submission from a group that's not party to the action — filed in support of the small businesses and states pushing against Trump's tariffs. Two were filed in support of the Trump administration's actions. Brent Skorup, a legal fellow at the Washington-based Cato Institute, said the Trump administration is taking a vague statute and claiming powers never deployed by a president before. The Cato Institute submitted a brief that argued 'the Constitution specifies that Congress has the power to set tariffs and duties.' Skorup said there are serious issues with the Trump administration's interpretation of IEEPA. 'We don't want power consolidated into a single king or president,' he said. It's expected the appeals court will expedite its ruling. Even if it rules against the duties, however, they may not be immediately lifted. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said the Supreme Court should 'put an end to this.' There are at least eight lawsuits challenging the tariffs. Canada is also being hit with tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles. Trump used different powers under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to enact those duties. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store