RADIOFebruary 19, 2025

How Trump Can PUNISH Trudeau Without Angering Canadians

"It's been a bumpy few weeks" for US-Canada relations, ‪@RebelNewsOnline‬ founder Ezra Levant tells Glenn. But do Canadians actually hate America after Trump's tariff announcement, his talk about making Canada the 51st state, and the brutal US-Canada hockey game? Ezra joins Glenn to give his perspective as a Trump-friendly, Trudeau-hating Canadian. Plus, he explains why "Justin Trudeau wants a trade war" in his last few weeks as Prime Minister and how Trump can punish Trudeau without hurting the Canadian people, and it all resolves around oil ...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: All right. Let's go to Canada. And one of our good friends up in Canada.

Ezra Levant. Hello, Ezra, how are you?

EZRA: Hi, it's great to be on the show. You know, I love America. And I love Canada too. And I don't think I have to choose. And I also love Trump, by the way. So it's been a bumpy few weeks because Trump said, hey, Canada, we will have a problem, or we will slap you with tariffs.

GLENN: Yeah.

EZRA: And when you think of open borders. You think of the Mexican border, right?
And it's true, the vast majority numerically of the smuggling of people is on the Mexican side. But Canada is not perfect. And it's getting worse. There's actually more would-be terrorists that are nabbed on the Northern Border than the Mexican border.

GLENN: Yes, a lot of Chinese as well.

EZRA: Exactly.

And the cartels are active in Canada, including not just Mexican cartels. But, you know, there's big meth labs being found in Canada every week.

Here's the thing, if you look at the announcement that Trump made. This was back I think in November. He said, look, by the time I'm inaugurated on January 20. I want you, Mexico. And you, Canada. To basically do the preparatory work to seal the borders. Start working on it now.

Or else, I'll slap you with a tariff. So I think a grownup would say. He wants us to seal the borders. We should probably do that in our own interests anyway.

And he has. But let's just do the work. Because it's in our interest too. Trouble is, Trudeau said, no. I'm not going to seal the border.

I'm not going to crack down on illegal migrants and illegal drugs even if that's something we should do. I am going to focus on the "or else," and I will get into a sort of staring contest with an ally ten times bigger than us.

GLENN: Right.

EZRA: And I've watched Trump's announcement. He wants the border fixed, the tariff is the "or else."

But here's the thing. And I don't know if Trump has really ever thought about this, because he's dealing with bigger fish.

Like, he's dealing with Ukraine. He's dealing with the economy and the fires in LA. And getting his nominees through the Senate. So he's dealing with huge things.

I don't think he's following the minutiae of Canadian politics.

Because let me tell you one thing I think Trump didn't count on here. Some master negotiator. And the thing about a negotiation, is, the other guy, you know, you've got to be willing to walk away. And you have to make it so the other guy sort of doesn't want to walk away, because his alternative is worse. Here's the thing about Trudeau, Glenn. In January, Justin Trudeau announced, he will resign. And that will take effect on March 9th. That's like three weeks from now. So Trudeau doesn't have the interest of getting a deal. He wants his final few weeks as Prime Minister to be, you know, an epic superhero coming to save Canada. He wants to be captain Canada fighting against the big, bad Trump.

He doesn't actually want a deal, Glenn. Because that's boring. And that looks like he's taking orders from Trump.

If he fights Trump. If he says, no, no, no. I don't want to spend a few billion on border security.

I want to get in a hundred billion-dollar trade war. See, Trump is not used to negotiating with a guy who actually wants to hurt himself. But why would Trudeau want that? Two reasons: Number one, to change the narrative. He's the Captain Canada, saving our country from the big bad -- we have Trump Derangement Syndrome here.

But number two, Trudeau has wrecked our economy through taxes and debt. And inflation. And cost of living. So if Trump actually does bring in punitive tariffs. Trudeau can say, uh-huh.

This is on Trump. Not me. I didn't wreck the economy. Trump did.

So Trump is dealing with a guy who is acting in bad faith.

Justin Trudeau wants a trade war. He wants our countries to fight.

GLENN: So let me ask you this. I've been watching the reaction of some Canadians. And they're like, we're not going to become the 51st state. Do you guys understand trolling. Donald Trump is calling Trudeau the governor of the 51st state to minimalize him. As a mock of Trudeau.

We're not -- we're not thinking about buying you. We're not offering to buy you. And we're certainly not buying troops up there to take you. Do the Canadians just not understand that?

EZRA: I think it's a combination. Because here's the thing, for the last ten years, Trudeau has tried to denature Canada. Our founding prime minister is named John A. McDonald's. John A. McDonald's, our version of George Washington.

He's on our 10-dollar bill. There's statues of him everywhere. Trudeau stripped him off the 10-dollar bill. Trudeau presided over his statues being knocked down. Trudeau has told us, that we are a country that committed genocide against Indian people. Trudeau calls us sexist. Racist. He says. He told the New York Times, we have no core values.

We're basically a hotel. So he has been -- he changes our national anthem. Who asked him to do that?

Like, he's doing all these things.

GLENN: Wait. Wait. Wait. He changed your national anthem from O Canada, to what?

EZRA: It's still O Canada, but he changed the words. He went on Anderson Cooper's show. And Anderson Cooper said, well, what's a Canadian? Okay. Well, that's a question you would expect the prime minister to answer.

He said, well, we're not Americans. That's not -- that's not an identity. That's sort of an attitude. And so he -- here's a guy who for ten years has derided what it means to be Canadian. He's given away citizenship to millions.

So I think Trump in his uncanny way, detected within Trudeau a bit of an inferiority complex. A bit of a weakness. That 51st state thing. That governor thing.

It actually stings, because Trudeau has spent ten years destroying our national identity. And Trump must have got that somehow. Because every time Trump says that, it actually hurts. Because we have spent ten years destroying what's made us Canada.

And Trump figured it out.

GLENN: Well, he's very good.

He's very good at knowing where people's weaknesses where R.

I think that's one of his -- one of his real skills in negotiating.

He knows what the other side is thinking. And what they're afraid of. Let me -- let me ask you this: Are we -- is this going to turn into something?

EZRA: Well, you know, there was some booing. There was a hockey game going on.

GLENN: Oh, no. We're very well aware of it.

EZRA: Some people are very startled. The idea of fighting with Americans is unthinkable.
Really, you almost can't tell the difference between a Canadian and American. Words like about.

GLENN: Right. How long you'll wait for health care. Yeah. There's just a few things.

EZRA: There are some differences, of course. But I can't think of two countries that are more similar.

GLENN: Right.

EZRA: So the idea that we're in some battle with America, it's confusing. But here's the thing. Let me say a quick thing about the 51st state. You know how California, is this huge electoral college that always goes Democrat every time. Let me say this to my brothers in the United States.

You don't want another 41 million people who will vote Democrat.

GLENN: Oh, we've made that point. We've made that point. That's...

EZRA: I myself, would be a Trump supporter. And maybe the problems of Alberta, from where I am, would.

GLENN: Right.

EZRA: And, by the way, I know you have some challenges from Spanish bilingualism. You know, it's French. Get ready for French to be spoken.

I'm just saying, you know, there are a few details. But let me tell you, what -- what actually matters.

I don't know if you know, but the -- our free trade agreement. That Trump renegotiated with Canada.

It will give us he went you want. We have 170 billion, with a B, barrels of oil in our oil sands.

And you have access to it. You have preferential access to it. And so when Trump talks about slapping that with a tariff. My phrase is, is it America first? You're the customer. You need to displace the conflict oil you're buying from OPEC. How about instead of slapping oil with the tariffs, that's just going to your refineries? We're the number one source of American oil under America. You make about half of your own oil in Texas and other places. But the other half, we're your number one source. Then comes Mexico and Saudi Arabia. How about replace that OPEC oil with more Canadian oil?

And I know Trump is a deal-maker. Art of the Deal. How about do a 50-year deal with Canada?
You could buy every one of those 170 barrels of oil. 170 billion.

And that would last you 50 years. You would be able to displace every foreign barrel of crude. $13 trillion deal. That's a bigger deal than Greenland. You have access to your oil. It's yours.
Most of the companies operating there, are American-owned. The Canadian companies are all listed on your stock changes.

You own the companies. American all the way down.

GLENN: Right. Right.

EZRA: And you don't want China to get access to that oil? China is poking around Canada's oil. What does China want? China wants to you push Canada away. Don't. Don't, don't do it. And I just, I think Trump is shooting at Trudeau, but hitting us. Don't do that. Look, I have a creative way to get back at Trudeau. But don't do it by attacking Canada.

GLENN: What's your creative way?

EZRA: Well, I'll tell you, I mentioned before that Justin Trudeau has said that Canada has committed a genocide against our native peoples. But he says that in the present tense. He says, we are committing a genocide.

Really? That sounds like a crime against humanity.

What about issuing an executive order saying, taking notice of Justin Trudeau's confession, that he's presiding against over a genocide, we hereby put sanctions on Justin Trudeau and his cabinet.

They may not enter the United States. They may not fly over our country. They may not do this. So just like Trump is doing with that international criminal court.

GLENN: Yes.

EZRA: They wanted to arrest Netanyahu. If you smack Justin Trudeau around, he loves going to New York. He goes down to New York and parties.

And he sort of does what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Trudeau loves going to America. If you took that away from him, Trudeau would be floored.

Go after Trudeau. You want to punish Trudeau, me too. I've got some ideas. But Canadians -- get all the oil you want. Let's be good friends. And, by the way, you do a 13 trillion-dollar deal to buy oil for 15 years. Now we have money to build up our own forces. And be our best buddies like we were on D-Day. But we were in Afghanistan.

Shocking train video: Passengers wait while woman bleeds out

Surveillance footage of the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, NC, reveals that the other passengers on the train took a long time to help her. Glenn, Stu, and Jason debate whether they were right or wrong to do so.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: You know, I'm -- I'm torn on how I feel about the people on the train.

Because my first instinct is, they did nothing! They did nothing! Then my -- well, sit down and, you know -- you know, you're going to be judged. So be careful on judging others.

What would I have done? What would I want my wife to do in that situation?

STU: Yeah. Are those two different questions, by the way.

GLENN: Yeah, they are.

STU: I think they go far apart from each other. What would I want myself to do. I mean, it's tough to put yourself in a situation. It's very easy to watch a video on the internet and talk about your heroism. Everybody can do that very easily on Twitter. And everybody is.

You know, when you're in a vehicle that doesn't have an exit with a guy who just murdered somebody in front of you, and has a dripping blood off of a knife that's standing 10 feet away from you, 15 feet away from you.

There's probably a different standard there, that we should all kind of consider. And maybe give a little grace to what I saw at least was a woman, sitting across the -- the -- the aisle.

I think there is a difference there. But when you talk about that question. Those two questions are definitive.

You know, I know what I would want myself to do. I would hope I would act in a way that didn't completely embarrass myself afterward.

But I also think, when I'm thinking of my wife. My advice to my wife would not be to jump into the middle of that situation at all costs. She might do that anyway. She actually is a heck of a lot stronger than I am.

But she might do it anyway.

GLENN: How pathetic, but how true.

STU: Yes. But that would not be my advice to her.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

STU: Now, maybe once the guy has certainly -- is out of the area. And you don't think the moment you step into that situation. He will turn around and kill you too. Then, of course, obviously. Anything you can do to step in.

Not that there was much anyone on the train could do.

I mean, I don't think there was an outcome change, no matter what anyone on that train did.

Unfortunately.

But would I want her to step in?

Of course. If she felt she was safe, yes.

Think about, you said, your wife. Think about your daughter. Your daughter is on that train, just watching someone else getting murdered like that. Would you advise your daughter to jump into a situation like that?

That girl sitting across the aisle was somebody's daughter. I don't know, man.

JASON: I would. You know, as a dad, would I advise.

Hmm. No.

As a human being, would I hope that my daughter or my wife or that I would get up and at least comfort that woman while she's dying on the floor of a train?

Yeah.

I would hope that my daughter, my son, that I would -- and, you know, I have more confidence in my son or daughter or my wife doing something courageous more than I would.

But, you know, I think I have a more realistic picture of myself than anybody else.

And I'm not sure that -- I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. I know what I would hope I would do. But I also know what I fear I would do. But I would have hoped that I would have gotten up and at least tried to help her. You know, help her up off the floor. At least be there with her, as she's seeing her life, you know, spill out in under a minute.

And that's it other thing we have to keep in mind. This all happened so rapidly.

A minute is -- will seem like a very long period of time in that situation. But it's a very short period of time in real life.

STU: Yeah. You watch the video, Glenn. You know, I don't need the video to -- to change my -- my position on this.

But at his seem like there was a -- someone who did get there, eventually, to help, right? I saw someone seemingly trying to put pressure on her neck.

GLENN: Yeah. And tried to give her CPR.

STU: You know, no hope at that point. How long of a time period would you say that was?

Do you know off the top of your head?

GLENN: I don't know. I don't know. I know that we watched the video that I saw. I haven't seen past 30 seconds after she --

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: -- is down. And, you know, for 30 seconds nothing is happening. You know, that is -- that is not a very long period of time.

STU: Right.

GLENN: In reality.

STU: And especially, I saw the pace he was walking. He certainly can't be -- you know, he may have left the actual train car by 30 seconds to a minute. But he wasn't that far away. Like he was still in visual.

He could still turn around and look and see what's going on at that point. So certainly still a threat is my point. He has not, like, left the area. This is not that type of situation.

You know, I -- look, as you point out, I think if I could be super duper sexist for a moment here, sort of my dividing line might just be men and women.

You know, I don't know if it's that a -- you're not supposed to say that, I suppose these days. But, like, there is a difference there. If I'm a man, you know, I would be -- I would want my son to jump in on that, I suppose. I don't know if he could do anything about it. But you would expect at least a grown man to be able to go in there and do something about it. A woman, you know, I don't know.

Maybe I'm -- I hope --

GLENN: Here's the thing I -- here's the thing that I -- that causes me to say, no. You should have jumped in.

And that is, you know, you've already killed one person on the train. So you've proven that you're a killer. And anybody who would have screamed and got up and was with her, she's dying. She's dying. Get him. Get him.

Then the whole train is responsible for stopping that guy. You know. And if you don't stop him, after he's killed one person, if you're not all as members of that train, if you're not stopping him, you know, the person at the side of that girl would be the least likely to be killed. It would be the ones that are standing you up and trying to stop him from getting back to your daughter or your wife or you.

JASON: There was a -- speaking of men and women and their roles in this. There was a video circling social media yesterday. In Sweden. There was a group of officials up on a stage. And one of the main. I think it was health official woman collapses on stage. Completely passes out.

All the men kind of look away. Or I don't know if they're looking away. Or pretending that they didn't know what was going on. There was another woman standing directly behind the woman passed out.

Immediately springs into action. Jumps on top. Grabs her pant leg. Grabs her shoulder. Spins her over and starts providing care.

What did she have that the other guys did not? Or women?

She was a sheepdog. There is a -- this is my issue. And I completely agree with Stu. I completely agree with you. There's some people that do not respond this way. My issue is the proportion of sheepdogs versus people that don't really know how to act. That is diminishing in western society. And American society.

We see it all the time in these critical actions. I mean, circumstances.

There are men and women, and it's actually a meme. That fantasize about hoards of people coming to attack their home and family. And they sit there and say, I've got it. You guys go. I'm staying behind, while I smoke my cigarette and wait for the hoards to come, because I will sacrifice myself. There are men and women that fantasize of block my highway. Go ahead. Block my highway. I'm going to do something about it. They fantasize about someone holding up -- not a liquor store. A convenience store or something. Because they will step in and do something. My issue now is that proportion of sheepdogs in society is disappearing. Just on statistical fact, there should be one within that train car, and there were none.

STU: Yeah. I mean --

JASON: They did not respond.

STU: We see what happens when they do, with Daniel Penny. Our society tries to vilify them and crush their existence. Now, there weren't that many people on that train. Right?

At least on that car. At least it's limited. I only saw three or four people there, there may have been more. I agree with you, though. Like, you see what happens when we actually do have a really recent example of someone doing exactly what Jason wants and what I would want a guy to do. Especially a marine to step up and stop this from happening. And the man was dragged by our legal system to a position where he nearly had to spend the rest of his life in prison.

I mean, I -- it's insanity. Thankfully, they came to their senses on that one.

GLENN: Well, the difference between that one and this one though is that the guy was threatening. This one, he killed somebody.

STU: Yeah. Right. Well, but -- I think -- but it's the opposite way. The debate with Penny, was should he have recognize that had this person might have just been crazy and not done anything?

Maybe. He hadn't actually acted yet. He was just saying things.

GLENN: Yeah. Well --

STU: He didn't wind up stabbing someone. This is a situation where these people have already seen what this man will do to you, even when you don't do anything to try to stop him. So if this woman, who is, again, looks to be an average American woman.

Across the aisle. Steps in and tries to do something. This guy could easily turn around and just make another pile of dead bodies next to the one that already exists.

And, you know, whether that is an optimal solution for our society, I don't know that that's helpful.

In that situation.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Max Lucado on Overcoming Grief in Dark Times | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 266

Disclaimer: This episode was filmed prior to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. But Glenn believes Max's message is needed now more than ever.
The political world is divided, constantly at war with itself. In many ways, our own lives are not much different. Why do we constantly focus on the negative? Why are we in pain? Where is God amid our anxiety and fear? Why can’t we ever seem to change? Pastor Max Lucado has found the solution: Stop thinking like that! It may seem easier said than done, but Max joins Glenn Beck to unpack the three tools he describes in his new book, “Tame Your Thoughts,” that make it easy for us to reset the way we think back to God’s factory settings. In this much-needed conversation, Max and Glenn tackle everything from feeling doubt as a parent to facing unfair hardships to ... UFOs?! Plus, Max shares what he recently got tattooed on his arm.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Are Demonic Forces to Blame for Charlie Kirk, Minnesota & Charlotte Killings?

This week has seen some of the most heinous actions in recent memory. Glenn has been discussing the growth of evil in our society, and with the assassination of civil rights leader Charlie Kirk, the recent transgender shooter who took the lives of two children at a Catholic school, and the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, how can we make sense of all this evil? On today's Friday Exclusive, Glenn speaks with BlazeTV host of "Strange Encounters" Rick Burgess to discuss the demon-possessed transgender shooter and the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. Rick breaks down the reality of demon possession and how individuals wind up possessed. Rick and Glenn also discuss the dangers of the grotesque things we see online and in movies, TV shows, and video games on a daily basis. Rick warns that when we allow our minds to be altered by substances like drugs or alcohol, it opens a door for the enemy to take control. A supernatural war is waging in our society, and it’s a Christian’s job to fight this war. Glenn and Rick remind Christians of what their first citizenship is.