Welch says Canada tariffs are hurting Americans before midterm vote
The Vermont senator links border-state businesses' uncertainty to a broader election judgment on Trump's economic stewardship.
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How is the trade war with Canada impacting U.S. voters? | Power & Politics
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- 0:08Trump portrays Canadian trade as an American subsidy; Carney's negotiating red lines follow.
- 2:00Welch says tariffs harm American farmers and manufacturers, particularly in border states.
- 3:01Welch connects tariffs and fuel costs to his argument that the election tests Trump's stewardship.
- 5:32Canadian businesses face instability, Welch says, while Canada seeks alternative international trade partnerships.
- 8:20Even a Democratic congressional majority would face Trump's veto power, limiting immediate legislative changes.
American farmers and manufacturers are paying a price for trade uncertainty with Canada, Democratic Senator Peter Welch says, arguing that the dispute belongs among voters' concerns as they approach Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections.
Speaking from Montreal, where he is meeting business leaders, the Vermont senator tells Canada's CBC News, the news service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, that President Donald Trump's approach has disrupted an existing trade agreement and made planning harder on both sides of the border.
"We had a deal and it was blown up by the president," Welch tells Power & Politics host David Cochrane. He describes the administration's approach as erratic and says he wants an agreement, while remaining skeptical about when one will materialize.
The interview opens with contrasting messages from the two countries' leaders. At a South Carolina rally, Trump describes trade with Canada as an American subsidy, while saying Canadians have been treating the United States "extremely nicely lately." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney discusses negotiating red lines, with the program identifying the discoverability of Canadian culture as one example.
Welch places tariffs alongside rising fuel prices, which he links to the conflict with Iran, in explaining the pressures facing voters. "So, the vote is really a referendum on the American people's view of Donald Trump's stewardship," he says. That is the Democratic senator's assessment, rather than evidence in the segment of how voters will cast their ballots.
His account of the Canadian business meetings adds a longer-term concern: he says broken trust is encouraging Canada to find other international trading partners. Restoring stability may therefore require more than reaching the next agreement.
Nor does Welch promise that Democratic control of Congress would immediately reverse the damage. Near the end, he acknowledges that Trump would retain the power to veto legislation. An election victory, he says, would offer a chance to begin repairing the relationship, not complete that repair.
A Democratic U.S. senator from Vermont who has served in the Senate since 2023. He previously represented Vermont in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2023.
More on Wikipedia ›Canada’s prime minister and Liberal Party leader since 2025. An economist, he previously headed the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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The interview drew about 81,000 views since yesterday, placing it among Canada's most watched new news videos.
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Which U.S. state does Peter Welch represent in the Senate?
Welch is a Democratic U.S. senator representing Vermont.