Canada should still trust U.S., Trump's former secretary of state tells defence convention

Murray Brewster · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 7:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

Former U.S. caput of authorities Mike Pompeo delivered a reassuring, fence-mending connection connected Wednesday, saying Canadians ought to spot the United States and shouldn't consciousness arsenic though their sovereignty is nether threat.

He told an planetary gathering of defence contractors successful Ottawa that he's assured relations betwixt the 2 countries stay beardown and that they volition endure beyond the existent tensions, which are fuelled by President Donald Trump's speech of annexation and the ongoing commercialized war.

When asked if Canadians should consciousness threatened by the rhetoric, Pompeo, who served successful Trump's archetypal administration, said: "No."

He added that he's assured the Canadian authorities volition bash each that's indispensable to guarantee the country's continued sovereignty.

"The reply is that Canadians ought to spot the United States successful the aforesaid mode Americans ought to spot [Canadians] to beryllium capable to survive. I'm convinced, successful the expanse of history, that volition remain," said Pompeo.

His soothing code stands successful opposition to his erstwhile boss, who has repeatedly spoken astir however he'd similar to spot Canada go the "cherished 51st state" successful the American national — a conception that has awakened a consciousness of Canadian patriotism which was connected afloat show Wednesday astatine the yearly defence commercialized show.

"We were complacent, but we've woken up," said Christyn Cianfarani, president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries successful her opening code of the lawsuit organized by her association.

"We recognized that the defence of North America is simply a shared responsibility. But marque nary mistake, Canada volition govern itself."

Pompeo spoke to reporters pursuing his lunchtime remarks astatine the CANSEC defence manufacture convention, which featured — arsenic accustomed — a fig of ample U.S.-based defence contractors.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has made it wide that Canada intends to put much successful defence, and that helium sees an overreliance connected American weapons and munitions makers. He said the national authorities is hoping to articulation the European Union's $1.25-trillion rearmament program — pivoting Canada distant from U.S. contractors.

Pompeo said Carney is simply lasting up for his country.

"That's his job, and that's what the radical hired him to do," Pompeo said. "He should marque bully decisions."

One of the counterarguments to Canada buying its blase subject instrumentality elsewhere is that the United States is simply a satellite person successful exertion and concern innovation — thing Pompeo said the premier curate should instrumentality into account.

"American quality capital, American business, it is simply a precise charismatic proposition for Canadian defence," helium said.

On Tuesday, Trump took to societal media to accidental that Canada has been told that joining his administration's alleged Golden Dome rocket defence program would outgo the state astir $61 cardinal US, but the outgo would beryllium "zero" if the state chose to articulation the United States. Trump wrote that Canada was considering it — a assertion the Prime Minister's Office flatly denied.

WATCH | Carney's says Trump's station is 'not an offer': 

Carney, connected Wednesday, said helium wasn't going to negociate successful nationalist and Defence Minister David McGuinty said Ottawa volition proceed "to bash what's close for Canadians and that includes making definite that we are secure, that we are sovereign."

Pompeo said helium wasn't successful a presumption to measure whether the $61-billion fig was accurate. But conducting rocket defence implicit territory arsenic immense arsenic North America would beryllium expensive, helium said.

"It's an engineering problem. It is simply a physics problem, a method occupation and it is simply a profoundly costly situation arsenic well. But I deliberation that that is 1 that is worthy the investment," the erstwhile caput of authorities said. "So, my conjecture is that the $61 cardinal fig is low."