The Trump administration is characterizing its trade war on Canada as a “drug war,” with one official even calling out Toronto by name.
The U.S. government imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports on Tuesday, though Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump’s National Economic Council Director, insists that the stiff economic penalties imposed on Canada are a result of the country’s drug policies.
“Respectfully, this is not a trade war, it’s a drug war,” Hassett said during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
Hassett claims that Trump is “extraordinarily disappointed” with Canada and Mexico’s action on fentanyl crossing U.S. borders — despite the fact that less than one per cent of fentanyl entering the United States originates from Canada.
Hassett went on to specifically call out Canada’s largest city, Toronto, as an example of failed drug policy.
“Wander around Toronto and look and see if these people are serious about the drug war. And they’re not.”
Curiously, Hassett mentioned Toronto over parts of the country like Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, known the world over for struggles with substance abuse and its social ramifications.
American officials are trying to sell Canada as a drug-addled problem neighbour, yet overdose figures are even worse in U.S. cities.
According to the Toronto Overdose Information System, there were 12 fatal calls attended by Paramedic Services for suspected opioid overdoses in January 2025.
Meanwhile, San Francisco’s drug overdose and treatment data platform reports 59 opioid fatalities during the same period.
Considering San Francisco’s population is less than one-third of Toronto’s but with much higher overdose figures, Americans might want to figure out their own affairs in their backyards before pointing fingers north.
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