A Second Trump Presidency and What it Means for Canada

The election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States has shaken Canadian politics to the core. His intentions to implement 25% across the board tariffs is forecasted to cripple the Canadian economy and combined with his repeated threats to annex Canada as the 51st state, has created an atmosphere of an existential crisis. Canada’s dependence on the United States in the realms of defense, security, and trade makes it extremely vulnerable to the drastic policy shifts the Trump administration is pursuing. Using historical institutionalism to contextualize this imbalanced relationship, this paper seeks to examine the consequences of another Trump presidency on Canada. It will highlight the unprecedented questions facing Canadian policymakers, citizens, and non-governmental actors before suggesting solutions that may mitigate even the most pessimistic predictions.