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Burney brushes off warning Canada could face blame for Republican losses

The former ambassador argues that Washington's domestic pressures give Canada reason to pause trade talks, not rush toward an agreement.

Channel: CTV News ·

CanadaStory of October 31, 2026Trari Newsroom

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Trump has ‘bigger fish to fry’ than trade, regardless of midterm outcome: former ambassador

Things we can learn from the video

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0:17Burney predicts legislative gridlock if the elections divide control of Congress and the presidency.
1:11He examines both parties' trade positions rather than assuming Democratic gains would help Canada.
2:10Burney backs Canada's negotiating pause, arguing that Trump's reliability makes agreements difficult.
3:20He points to American businesses challenging Trump's tariffs in U.S. courts.
4:43Burney dismisses the ambassador's reported warning that Canada could be blamed for midterm losses.
5:50The title's argument arrives: Burney says domestic and international pressures give Trump bigger priorities than Canadian trade.

A warning that Canada could be blamed for Republican midterm losses does not trouble Derek Burney. The former Canadian ambassador to Washington says Donald Trump has larger domestic and international problems to manage than a trade dispute with his northern neighbor.

In an interview on Canada's CTV News program Power Play, host Mike Le Couteur asks what next week's U.S. elections could mean for Canada. An on-screen headline cites sources saying U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has warned that Canada could face blame for midterm losses.

Burney rejects the warning's significance. "I don't think any Canadian should take anything that the American ambassador says at face value," he says. Asked about the consequences, he adds: "Well, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, I have to tell you, Michael."

His broader argument is that a Democratic victory would not necessarily unlock a trade agreement. If Congress and the Republican presidency are divided, Burney predicts legislative paralysis: "What you get in Washington is gridlock." He also examines both parties' trade positions rather than treating Democratic gains as an automatic advantage for Canadian negotiators.

Burney supports Canada's pause in negotiations. In his assessment, reaching an agreement is only part of the difficulty; trusting Trump to honor it is another. He points separately to challenges brought by American businesses against the tariffs in U.S. courts.

The November 3 elections will determine control of Congress, not the presidency. Burney's closing assessment is that Trump's domestic approval problems and international pressures will occupy him regardless of the result. As he puts it, the president has "a lot bigger fish to fry and bring to the table than the trade relations with Canada."

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