Vice President JD Vance, who has been at the center of the Trump administration’s trade disputes with Canada, made an awkward slip while speaking about the neighboring country. During a speech in Maine, Vance accidentally referred to Canada as a “state” before quickly correcting himself.
Vice President JD Vance called Canada a “state” before quickly correcting himself during a speech in Maine
Speaking at Compotech headquarters in Brewer, Maine, on Monday, Aug. 24, Vance said, “We have to remember Canada is a state.” He immediately caught the mistake and added, “Sorry, Freudian slip,” as seen in a video shared by Forbes.
“That was actually an accident,” he quickly said.
Vance made the comment while criticizing Canada’s trade policies and tariffs on products from Maine. He said Canada and China have been among the worst countries when it comes to trade policy. Before making the slip, Vance said, “China, you of course expect. They’re our biggest economic competitor. I would expect that from China. I would not expect that from Canada.”
He continued criticizing Canada after correcting himself. Vance also pointed to the military protection the United States provides to Canada and called Canadian tariffs on Maine products “ridiculous.”
“Canada is a country that has underinvested in its military that quite literally would get invaded by a foreign country were it not for the umbrella of protection provided by the United States of America,” Vance said.
He added, “We’re sick of that. We are actually going to fight back against unfair trade practices, whether it’s coming from China or Canada.”
Vance’s remarks came as tensions between the U.S. and Canada continue to grow over trade. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly criticized Canada and has referred to the country as a U.S. state during his disputes with the longtime ally.
On Monday, Trump threatened to raise U.S. tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks and automotive parts to 50% after negotiations between the two countries failed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada would match the tariffs “dollar for dollar.”