The recipe for dealing with Trump: a stiff spine and a stiff drink

Resistance isn’t futile when it comes to the U.S. president, but it has to be clever and well calculated.

U.S. President Donald Trump clearly preferred the federal government’s charm offensive, but it had—at least publicly—not borne any fruit, writes Tim Powers. White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosian

Opinion

BY TIM POWERS

October 29, 2025

OTTAWA—Do we all feel better now? Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s ads landed a punch squarely on the jaw of United States President Donald Trump. The president demonstrated he has a glass jaw by blowing up trade talks, and threatening an increase in Canadian tariffs.

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