On Wednesday White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow held a press briefing, transcript provided by White House.gov, to discuss the upcoming G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Quebec.
During the briefing Kudlow was asked about U.S. relations with Canada in light of the imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum that went into effect last week, causing a backlash among our NATO allies, and the European Union, “I have no doubt that the United States and Canada will remain firm friends and allies, whatever short-term disagreements may occur. So I would say relations are very good.”He also expressed hope for President Trump’s and Prime Minster Trudeau’s scheduled bilateral meeting that’s to take place during the summit saying it’s a “really good thing and I think they’ll walk through a lot of these issues.”
He is then asked about those countries that are coming up with retaliatory tariffs and taking their cases to the WTO (World Trade Organization) if the administration would respect the decisions that come from WTO on this, he answered that the President has made clear we are bound to “national interests here more than anything else,” and he adds, “But international multilateral organizations are not going to determine American policy. I think the President has made that very clear.”
Kudlow’s hope that the talks between President Trump and Prime Minster Trudeau go well might have set a snag reported earlier today by CNN the two leaders had a “testy phone call,” sources said.
The sources told CNN when PM Trudeau pressed President Trump on how he could justify the tariff as a “national security,” issue, Trump is said to have joked, “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House.”
The reference was in regards to the War of 1812, when the White House, in August of 1814 was burned down by British Troops, not Canadians, though historians note that the British attack was in retaliation for the American attack on York, Ontario, which eventually became Canada, which was at the time a British colony.
The G7 Summit is set to begin June 8th, 2018.
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