President John F. Kennedy stood before Canadian lawmakers elucidating the important relationship between the two countries: 91裸聊视频淕eography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淎nd necessity has made us allies,91裸聊视频� Kennedy said in a 1961 address to Parliament.
But behind the scenes, the relationship between the charismatic Kennedy and then-prime minister John Diefenbaker was toxic.
With the looming United States election, the future of who will be at the helm of the bilateral relationship remains unclear, but Canada cannot escape the geopolitical pull of its closest neighbour.
While some presidents and prime ministers have been on friendly terms, the shared geography and history hasn91裸聊视频檛 stopped clashes between others.
91裸聊视频淲e have a long history of presidents and prime ministers hating each other91裸聊视频檚 guts91裸聊视频� and yet the system works,91裸聊视频� said Aaron Ettinger, a political science professor at Carleton University.
Experts say incompatible personalities won91裸聊视频檛 irreparably harm the relationship, but it can make it harder for Canada.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very difficult to operate when you have outright antagonism between the leaders 91裸聊视频� and that is less a function of ideology and more a function of personality,91裸聊视频� said Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U. S. relations and the executive director of the Future Borders Coalition.
That became clear during the first Trump administration when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations of it91裸聊视频檚 replacement, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, were marked by public spats between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former president Donald Trump.
Trump called Trudeau 91裸聊视频渨eak91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渄ishonest91裸聊视频� after the prime minister criticized the president91裸聊视频檚 2018 tariff actions at the G7 summit in Quebec.
Robert Lighthizer, Trump91裸聊视频檚 trade representative, recounted in his book that U.S.-Canada relations were 91裸聊视频渁t their lowest ebb since the failed American invasion of Upper Canada during the War of 1812.91裸聊视频�
The following year there was another blow-up when Trudeau and other NATO leaders appeared to be on video talking about a Trump press conference. The former president called the prime minister 91裸聊视频渢wo-faced.91裸聊视频�
While the relationship between the leaders was publicly rocky, behind the scenes CUSMA was successfully negotiated. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland called the agreement a 91裸聊视频渧ictory for all Canadians,91裸聊视频� and experts say it was more moderate than Trump originally threatened.
Whoever takes the White House will be in charge during trade pact91裸聊视频檚 2026 review.
Trudeau is a political veteran now, Dawson said, and is more prepared for a possible second Trump administration.
91裸聊视频淲e know that Trump-Trudeau is not a good fit,91裸聊视频� Dawson said. 91裸聊视频淏ut I91裸聊视频檓 sure that Trudeau will figure out a way to make it work.91裸聊视频�
Most experts say Kamala Harris91裸聊视频� personality would be a better match with Trudeau. It91裸聊视频檚 been reported they already have a good relationship and many of their policy goals align. He originally ran on 91裸聊视频渟unny ways91裸聊视频� and she kicked off her campaign with 91裸聊视频渏oy.91裸聊视频�
The vice-president also spent part of her youth living in Canada, although observers say the impact of her teenage years in Montreal is probably overstated.
91裸聊视频淗arris would obviously be easier for probably anyone to get along with,91裸聊视频� Dawson said. 91裸聊视频淏ut getting along only goes so far.91裸聊视频�
Harris has been campaigning on her vote against CUSMA, saying it didn91裸聊视频檛 do enough to protect U.S. workers, and is expected to follow the Biden administration91裸聊视频檚 Buy American procurement rules.
There91裸聊视频檚 another outcome to consider: a change in Canadian leadership. A general election must be held by October next year, but it could come sooner if the Liberals lose the confidence of the House.
The Conservatives have long held a lead in the polls amid high inflation, an exodus of Liberal ministers and uncertainty over Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 political future.
91裸聊视频淲e have a whole lot of turnover in the works coming up in the next two years between Canada and the United States,91裸聊视频� Ettinger said. 91裸聊视频淎nd it91裸聊视频檚 possible that we have two leaders who have never met one another.91裸聊视频�
It91裸聊视频檚 not clear how Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre would get along with either presidential candidate.
Ivan Ivanov, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, said Poilievre 91裸聊视频渋s a professional communicator.91裸聊视频� The expert in public relations and crisis management said the Conservative leader can be combative 91裸聊视频� which could hurt or help the bilateral relationship 91裸聊视频� but it plays well among Canadian voters.
During President Joe Biden91裸聊视频檚 state visit to Canada last year he met with Poilievre and they discussed Canadian exemptions to Buy America rules, national defence interests and other issues. A photo shared on Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 social media shows the leaders shaking hands.
However, Ettinger said he doesn91裸聊视频檛 think we can 91裸聊视频済lean much about how he personally will interact with other leaders on the international stage.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 a complete cipher.91裸聊视频�
Poilievre91裸聊视频檚 promises share some insight. He pledged to match American tariffs on Chinese-produced electric vehicles a few weeks before the Liberal government took action this summer and promised to push Americans on the longstanding softwood lumber dispute.
Poilievre has also been known to use slogans in the Republican lexicon. For example, Poilievre said he will 91裸聊视频渞eplace woke culture with warrior culture91裸聊视频� in the military and that 91裸聊视频渂iological males91裸聊视频� should not be in women91裸聊视频檚 sports and change rooms 91裸聊视频� both talking points were included in multiple speeches at the recent Republican National Convention.
But that doesn91裸聊视频檛 necessarily make him the better match for Trump, Dawson said.
91裸聊视频淲e might think that a Poilievre-Trump pairing would be better because he91裸聊视频檚 got a more ideological fit,91裸聊视频� Dawson said.
91裸聊视频淏ut we know that Trump is not a traditional Republican at all.91裸聊视频�
