American officials have ‘concerns’ about Trump’s Canada attacks, MPs hear

American officials have privately confided “concerns” with U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance towards Canada, MPs on the House of Commons’ foreign affairs committee were told Monday.

Niall Cronin, the director general of Global Affairs Canada’s North America bureau, told MPs that Canada has a network of diplomats that spend a considerable amount of time arguing Canada’s side of the conflict with American politicians and business leaders.

“What we’ve heard from our network in the United States is broad support for the Canada-U.S. relationship and affection for Canada and understanding of the benefits that a relationship with Canada brings to the United States,” Cronin said.

“We’ve also heard people raise their concerns with some of the steps the (Trump) administration has taken, in private. Few are willing to be more public about it, and that’s their decision.”

“But our network across the United States spends a lot of its time raising awareness about the benefits of the trading relationship, the security partnership and other aspects of the relationship, and has a very receptive audience from a number of sections across the United States,” Cronin added.

During the first Trump administration’s trade war, former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government presided over a full-court press of premiers, mayors, business leaders and diplomats targeting sub-national politicians and decision makers across the U.S. in the first “Team Canada” push.

The objective was to convince Americans of the value in the Canada-U.S. relationship, in hopes that message would trickle up to — or become pressure against — Trump and his inner circle.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s approach to dealing with Trump’s second administration has been different, or at least less public-relations focused than his predecessor. Trade talks between the two countries collapsed in late August, with Carney saying Trump had demanded terms including control over who Canada could trade with.

Carney and senior Canadian officials have said their side is willing to head back to the negotiating table, but the Trump administration — currently attempting to prosecute a shooting war in Iran and under the shadow of next month’s midterm elections — have not appeared in a rush.

“I don’t know. Canada behaves very badly with the United States, and I don’t know, we’ve caught them in the act,” Trump told reporters on Monday when asked if he would resume trade talks with Canada before the midterms on Nov. 4.

But Cronin noted the Canada-U.S. relationship has endured through disputes in the past, and stressed that, away from the headlines, cooperation between the two countries is still strong.

“I was actually in British Columbia last month, meeting with B.C. officials, they have regular interactions with their counterparts in Alaska and Washington State dealing with all sorts of issues … and those relationships are deep and enduring, and the conversations very, very positive,” Cronin said.

“I think that goes across the board.”