In a comment piece, Robert Reich argues that Donald Trump's trade war against Canada is backfiring, having provoked a surge of Canadian patriotism and a domestic political backlash rather than the quick capitulation Trump apparently expected. Reich casts the move as Trump turning to bully a "weaker" target after being humiliated by Iran's forceful response earlier in the year, but suggests the tactic is instead strengthening the resolve of a country he assumed would fold given its economic exposure to the US.

The piece notes that Canadian prime minister Mark Carney's "dollar for dollar" retaliation, targeting industries in politically sensitive US states, has boosted support for his Liberal party, which won three special by-elections on Monday and dented separatist momentum in Quebec and Alberta ahead of votes in October. Domestically, Reich cites a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing 57% of Americans oppose the Canada tariffs and 63% oppose Trump's order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America", with only 20% backing the higher tariffs, and points to growing unease among Republicans in border states such as Michigan as Carney's countermeasures are due to take effect on 8 September.