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WASHINGTON — After two months of political consternation over U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for his country’s relationship with Canada, the Republican leader’s inaugural speech marking his return to the White House on Monday did not mention America’s northern neighbour.
Trump’s speech offered no clarity on the status of his threat to impose a 25 per cent across-the-board tariff on Canadian products on day one of his new administration — part of a massive agenda aimed at leading a deeply divided U.S. on a starkly different path.
Trump’s team reportedly has prepared more than 100 executive orders. It’s not clear what’s in those orders or how many of them will be signed immediately.
In a statement issued Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump on his inauguration and cited Canada’s efforts to secure the border in response to the Republican leader’s demands for a crackdown on migrants and drugs.
“We are strongest when we work together,” Trudeau wrote.
“I look forward to working with President Trump, his administration, members of the United States Congress, and officials at the state and local levels to deliver prosperity for our peoples — while protecting and defending the interests of Canadians.”
It appears Trump is holding off on his tariff threat for now. A Trump official — who insisted on anonymity while outlining the incoming president’s plans during a call with reporters — pointed to a Wall Street Journal report saying Trump would only sign a memorandum telling federal agencies to study trade issues, including alleged unfair trade and currency practices by Canada, Mexico and China.
“I think we want to see what the president decides to do,” Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., told Bloomberg News last week. “Canada will be ready for whatever comes our way.”
Trump delivered his oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda, where country music star Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” a cappella, due to technical difficulties at the inauguration.
Tech billionaires, world leaders, celebrities and athletes were among those watching Trump give his inaugural address. The crowd included three of the richest men in the world — Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos.
In his address, Trump spoke of a “golden age of America” and pledged that “our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.”
Noting the fact that his inauguration is occurring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day., he said that his administration will “strive together to make his dream a reality,” a reference to King’s pursuit of racial equality.
Thousands of people wearing Trump tuques and hats braved the frigid weather in Washington Monday morning to head to Capitol One Arena. The inaugural events were relocated there because of the cold snap.
Monday is a federal holiday, so many of the people who otherwise would be filling the streets on their way to work have opted to stay away from the celebrations, leaving the area largely to Trump’s supporters.
People selling Trump merchandise lined the streets near the arena in the morning and supporters in the crowd said they’re keenly awaiting Trump’s return to the White House.
Kenneth Johnson, visiting the capital from Boulder City, Nev., said he believes Trump will stop other countries from “taking advantage” of the U.S. and bring down the cost of groceries.
“We’re getting rid of the corruption. We’re getting rid of the baloney,” he said, citing President Joe Biden’s last-minute pardon of administration officials who might face retribution from Trump.
“Our president’s going to be back in office in two hours. Our nation’s going to be back under control,” Johnson said Monday morning.
Daniel Blake travelled from Connecticut to take in the moment and celebrate with others excited about the promise of smaller government.
“We basically waste our taxpayer money, so I’m excited about that,” he said, adding he hoped to hear Trump strike a conciliatory tone in his address. “I do want to hear unity, just common sense.”
Trump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He is the first person convicted of a felony ever to become president and, at 78, is the oldest person ever elected to the office.
This inauguration celebration is much different from the one that took place when Trump first took office in 2017. While thousands of people showed up to a People’s March against Trump in the nation’s capital Saturday, officials said they don’t expect massive demonstrations, unrest or violence on Monday.
Trump’s first speech as president in 2017 painted a bleak picture of what he called “American carnage” but it was overshadowed in the news cycle by his claims about crowd sizes.
That wasn’t an issue this year, as a predicted blast of cold temperatures forced most of the inaugural events indoors.
Monday’s celebrations offered a stark contrast to the nature of Trump’s departure from the nation’s capital four years ago. In the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill attack, Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election and skipped Biden’s inauguration.
Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, as well as former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, were in attendance on Monday.
Many Canadian politicians have travelled to Washington and are attending an event at the Canadian Embassy, which sits on Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House.
Among those in attendance are federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Trade Minister Mary Ng.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is also in the U.S. capital for the inauguration. Last week, Smith refused to sign a joint statement with other premiers and Trudeau that said every possible countermeasure would be on the table to push back against U.S. tariffs.
Smith, who recently travelled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to meet with the president-elect, broke from the pack by refusing to consider any plan that would include possible levies on oil exports or cutting off energy supplies to the U.S.
Canada has multiple options for retaliatory tariffs ready to go depending on what Trump ultimately does. If Trump sets the tariffs at 25 per cent, Canada’s response would be to impose counter-tariffs worth roughly $37 billion, and possibly follow up with another $110 billion in tariffs.
If the duties are lower, Canada’s tariff response is expected to be more modest.
Hillman appeared on multiple American news programs last week to make the case that any type of trade war between Canada and the U.S. should be avoided.
“I’m really hopeful that we are not going to get to that place,” Hillman told Bloomberg News.
“It’s not good for the U.S., it’s not good for Canada. And there’s a lot of good things we can be doing together right now in energy and all sorts of other areas of trade.”
— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2025.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press