Members of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet, which was sworn in on Tuesday, weren’t the only newcomers to Ottawa’s political scene this week. At an Ottawa conference on Friday, Pete Hoekstra gave his first official speech as the United States’ ambassador to Canada.
While the speech was, not surprisingly, filled with praise for President Trump and his actions in office, the tone and rhetoric diverged from the president’s when it came to Canada.
For starters, there was no “51st state” talk. That was consistent with an earlier interview Mr. Hoekstra gave to The National Post.
“From my standpoint, from the president’s standpoint, 51st state’s not coming back,” he told the newspaper. “The president may bring it up every once in a while, but he recognizes it’s not going to happen unless the prime minister engages with the president.”
Nor did Mr. Hoekstra, a former Republican congressman from Michigan, follow Mr. Trump’s lead in presenting a long list of goods, like automobiles, lumber and oil, that the United States supposedly does not need from Canada.
