OTTAWA – California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he believes U.S. President Donald Trump will change course on his new tariffs on Canada soon, as he faces increasing political pressure back home.
“Imagine the phone calls Donald Trump’s receiving from members of his party, not from those condemning him from my party,” Newsom said in an interview with CTV News’ chief political correspondent Vassy Kapelos on Tuesday.
“I think it’s a matter of days, if not weeks, the latest, where he completely flips on this and then tries to save face.”
After weeks of intense talks, Canada and the U.S. failed to strike a last-minute trade deal late Friday over what Prime Minister Mark Carney described as new terms that “were uneconomic, unfair and undermined the net benefits for Canada.”
As a result, the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian goods on Saturday under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The Americans are alleging “discriminatory” trade policies, such as the provincial ban on U.S. alcohol. The affected items even include those covered under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
After the new tariffs were imposed, Newsom – who is a Democrat – quickly took to social media to condemn the move, saying “What the actual f--- are we doing?”
Newsom says Trump is “creating a lot of political pressure” for members of the Republican Party.
Asked by Kapelos whether Trump’s trade policies have created permanent damage between long-time allies, Newsom said, “Trump’s not permanent” but concedes the negative impact may be more long term than he previously expected.
“The fact that this damage may be more long-lasting than I had originally believed. That concerns me, but I understand it at the same time,” he added.
PM Carney is looking ‘long-term’: Newsom
Late Friday, Carney rejected the latest U.S. trade offer after both countries signaled progress was being made. The federal government has since announced counter-tariffs on $27.6 billion of American goods that will come into effect on Sept. 8.
Speaking to Kapelos, Newsom said he believes Carney “has played this extraordinarily well.”
“(Carney is) looking long term. I think he recognizes what we recognize here in the United States. The temporary nature of Trump,” Newsom said. “He recognizes the midterms are around the corner, and the Trump presidency, as we know it, will end this November.”
This fall, Trump will face a big test during the U.S. midterm elections. The midterms happen midway through a four-year presidential election cycle and could change the balance of political power in Washington. Multiple American polls currently show Trump with the lowest approval rating of his presidency.
Will Democrats maintain tariff policies?
During his tenure, former Democratic U.S. president Joe Biden expanded on protectionist trade policies from Trump’s first term in office, by keeping most of Trump’s tariffs on China and even announced new ones.
When asked directly by Kapelos whether Canadians can expect tariffs to be reversed under Democratic leadership, Newsom said he “can’t guarantee that but I can guarantee you nothing like this.”
“Having targeted tariff policy is an industrial policy. This is not an industrial policy what Trump’s doing across the board on hockey sticks. This is a tantrum being played out,” Newsom said.
“When Donald Trump is no longer president, that I can guarantee you, you won’t see something like this again. I really believe that in my core, even most Republican aspirants to the White House as well.”
Newsom has not officially declared a presidential run in 2028 but has previously said he would be “lying” if he claimed he was not considering it. His term as California governor ends in January 2027, and he has stated he will decide on a White House bid after the 2026 midterm elections in November.
With files from CTV News’ Brennan MacDonald
