Canadians Are Mad at Us, Greg Abbott Is Making It Worse

Thanks to a recent social media battle, it seems as though Texas’ relationship with Canada has gone awry since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Greg Abbott first met in 2017 to discuss Texas-Canada relations.

“Today’s meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau was very productive, and I was honored to have him here in the Lone Star State,” Abbott affectionately said in a press release following the 2017 meeting. “As Texas’ second largest export destination, Canada is a strong trading partner with Texas, especially in the energy sector. I look forward to continue working with Prime Minister Trudeau to expand Texas’ already robust relationship with Canada.”

This sentiment is a far cry from where the two stand today, and the relationship is anything but “robust.” Like any messy breakup, there are several people involved, and everyone is taking sides. It all started on Feb. 1, when President Donald Trump announced via executive order that he was following through on a campaign promise to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. Trudeau retaliated with his own proposed levies on United States imports.

“Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far-reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes,” Trudeau said in an address.

Cue Abbott, who took to X, to warn Canada that the governor had no reservations about entering the trade war on behalf of his state, highlighting a Canadian reliance on Texas cotton.

Careful Trudeau.

The Texas economy is larger than Canada’s.

And we’re not afraid to use it. https://t.co/vAjGS5COV2

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 2, 2025

“T-shirts are made of cotton. That cotton comes from Texas – the #1 producer in America,” Abbott said on X. “There is tremendous demand for our cotton all over the world. I wonder if Canadians will be able to afford the cotton on their backs.”

A grassroots boycott of U.S. goods spread like wildfire through Canada. Lists of certified domestically produced goods started circulating on social media, and Trudeau promoted the boycott on social media.

Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada.

Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 2, 2025

But it gets uglier. In Trudeau’s address, he encouraged Canadians to reconsider traveling to the United States.

“Now is the time to choose Canada … It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations our great country has to offer,” Trudeau said.

Forbes reported Canadians had already started rerouting their U.S. vacation plans. Before the tariffs were enacted, David Eby, premier of British Columbia, doubled down on siphoning money away from the United States.

“We should really be thinking carefully about spending our money in that country,” Eby said to the Canadian Broadcast Channel. “We will not spend money in a country that wants to do economic harm to Canadians.”

In 2023, over half a million Canadians visited the Lone Star State, generating $400 million in revenue. The Canucks are the second-largest international visitor market for Texas, and 71% consider the state their main travel destination. In speaking about the travel boycott, Member of Parliament Charlie Angus said Canadians were “sending a message’ to Abbott.

“How about we teach you a lesson and say ‘We got better places to go to than Texas’ if that’s your attitude of Canadians, we will not go,” he said during a speech addressing Elon Musk, Trump and Abbott. “Hell no, we will not go.”

More Canadians visit the United States than any other country, spending $20.5 billion last year, according to a report from Forbes. Moreover, the United States exported $350 billion of goods to Canada and imported $413 billion. The two nations are economically reliant on one another and have been strong political allies for decades.

“Canada is the United States’ closest friend, their strongest ally, and their biggest customer,” wrote Trudeau on X.

As a final nail in the coffin, Trump has been talking to everyone who will listen about annexing Canada as the 51st state.

“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” he said in an interview with Fox News. 

Canadians have even started booing during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” at sporting events. On the bright side, Canada’s self-love has never been stronger; all it needed was a messy breakup.

Canada has united for their country against Donald Trump. It’s getting louder by the week, and I couldn’t be prouder of Canadians for that.

— Amazing Gracie (@Kahalaonapua) February 16, 2025