Lake America: Trump’s Trade War With Canada Gets Even Dumber

August 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

For weeks, Donald Trump has been escalating a trade war with Canada, and on a Saturday in late August, he announced new tariffs on 36 kinds of plywood, anoraks, dog muzzles, and other Canadian goods. Canada’s response came the following Monday: retaliatory tariffs as high as 50% on 700 American products, including a doubling of tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum, set to take effect on September 8—the day after Labor Day. Trump’s counter-threat? Rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” On Pod Save America, co-host Tommy Vietor and guest Aaron Ryan (of the show Hysteria) unpacked what they see as a catastrophic policy escalation, the psychology of the confrontation, and the possibility that Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, may be playing a smarter long game than Trump.

Carney’s Playground Strategy: Punch the Bully in the Face

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What you'll learn

1 (00:30) **Canada Fights Back: Trump's Tariff War Escalates** - The host introduces the topic: Trump's new tariffs on Canadian goods and Canada's retaliatory tariffs, set to begin September 8th. The episode will unpack the policy and its implications with guest Aaron Ryan.
2 (01:22) **The Guest: Aaron Ryan** - Aaron Ryan, from the show *Hysteria*, joins to discuss the escalating trade war and its broader significance.
3 (02:43) **Mark Carney's Strategy: Punch the Bully** - The host and guest analyze Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's aggressive response, framing it as a necessary show of strength against a bully.
4 (04:04) **Canada as David vs. Goliath** - The discussion shifts to Canada's position as a smaller nation facing a larger, more powerful adversary.
5 (06:53) **Canada's Political Leverage: Targeting Key US Elections** - The conversation reveals how Canada's tariffs are strategically aimed at hurting industries in US states with critical upcoming Senate races.
6 (09:05) **The Timing is a "Chef's Kiss"** - Aaron highlights the significance of the tariffs taking effect the day after Labor Day, a pivotal moment in the American political narrative.
7 (11:22) **Doug Ford's Cathartic Insults** - The host and guest discuss the unvarnished, pugnacious rhetoric of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a "trumpy figure" who is aggressively telling America to "fuck off."

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Tommy Vietor

Show Notes

Alex Wagner and Erin Ryan break down Trump's escalating tariff war with Canada.

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