Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc sent a video describing Canada91裸聊视频檚 border security efforts to the man U.S. President Donald Trump has chosen to oversee his tariff agenda 91裸聊视频 part of Canada91裸聊视频檚 pitch to avoid devastating duties that could come as soon as Saturday.
LeBlanc91裸聊视频檚 office confirmed the three-minute video was texted to Howard Lutnick Wednesday evening after the billionaire financier91裸聊视频檚 Senate hearing on his nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Lutnick told senators Wednesday that Trump91裸聊视频檚 threatened 25 per cent across-the-board duties would be an emergency measure to achieve border security 91裸聊视频 and could be followed by more tariffs in the future.
Lutnick said he believes Canada and Mexico are 91裸聊视频渁cting swiftly91裸聊视频 on border security and 91裸聊视频渁nd if they execute it, there will be no tariff and if they don91裸聊视频檛, then there will be.91裸聊视频
LeBlanc met Lutnick at Mar-a-Lago late last year after he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled there for a dinner with Trump a few days after the president made his initial tariff threat.
LeBlanc91裸聊视频檚 office said the video was sent along with a 91裸聊视频減ersonal message91裸聊视频 to contextualize the video, in relation to Canada91裸聊视频檚 work to shore up the border. The spokesperson said the message was not part of any official communication plan.
The minister will meet with Lutnick but not until after his nomination is confirmed.
LeBlanc91裸聊视频檚 outreach comes as Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly is in Washington, D.C. connecting with American officials and lawmakers. On Thursday, she is set to meet Republican senators Pete Ricketts and Lisa Murkowski and Democrat senators Tim Kaine and Maria Cantwell.
Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Immigration Minister Marc Miller were travelling to Washington Thursday for meetings with various senators and members of Trump91裸聊视频檚 team.
The three ministers are also set to meet with Trump91裸聊视频檚 border czar Tom Homan on Friday afternoon.
Trump initially claimed his tariff threat was in response to what he called the failure by Canada and Mexico to curb the illegal flow of people and drugs across the border.
Trump didn91裸聊视频檛 implement the duties on his first day back in office, as he91裸聊视频檇 vowed to do, but later said they91裸聊视频檇 hit both countries on Feb. 1.
The amount of drugs and people crossing Canada91裸聊视频檚 border illegally is miniscule compared to the traffic over the U.S.-Mexico border. Still, Canada moved rapidly to appease Trump91裸聊视频檚 concerns with a $1.3-billion border security plan.
There are additional helicopters and drones in the sky above the border and officers with canine units on the ground. Provincial governments have also boosted border resources.
In response to questions about a report in the Globe and Mail that said the federal government sent packages of video clips to Trump and his team, McGuinty said sharing video with the U.S. is not uncommon.
91裸聊视频淚t is likely to help show the investments that we91裸聊视频檙e making and that they91裸聊视频檙e working,91裸聊视频 McGuinty told reporters Wednesday.
Canadian officials are likely well aware that the president has an affinity for images and videos. It was reported during the first Trump administration that the president preferred his briefings short and full of photos, videos and graphics.
During his first administration and throughout his campaign last year, Trump often repeated lines from conservative Fox News hosts. His new Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth is a former Fox News personality.
Premiers have already taken advantage of the president91裸聊视频檚 viewing habits. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have made numerous appearances on Fox programs in an attempt to talk Trump out of hammering Canada with tariffs.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has seen some success in making its case in direct conversations with state and federal lawmakers.
91裸聊视频淏ut there91裸聊视频檚 one person, in particular, whose mind we need to have land in a favourable direction for Canada,91裸聊视频 Kinew said, alluding to Trump without saying his name.
Kinew, a former broadcaster himself, said there91裸聊视频檚 value in selling Canada91裸聊视频檚 border security plan through easily consumable images and videos.
91裸聊视频淚f you see me or (Saskatchewan Premier) Scott Moe standing along a border with conservation officers, and if there91裸聊视频檚 a Blackhawk helicopter landing somewhere near Emerson playing on TV, I think that that helps strongly to make the case with the United States of America that we are taking border security seriously,91裸聊视频 he said.