JD Vance insults Canada with ‘Freudian slip,’ compares ally to US adversary

Vice President JD Vance took a jab at Canada on Monday, labeling the nation a “state” during a campaign stop in Brewer, Maine. While promoting the Trump administration’s economic platform ahead of the November midterm elections, Vance quickly walked back the comment, dismissing it as a “Freudian slip” with a grin.

Escalating Tensions

The vice president's remark arrived amidst a burgeoning tariff conflict between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. Following a breakdown in trade negotiations, President Donald Trump implemented 50% tariffs on several categories of Canadian imports over the weekend. President Trump has frequently referred to Canada as the “51st State” throughout the dispute.

Prior to his slip-of-the-tongue, Vance painted Canada with the same brush as a U.S. adversary. “Canada and China have been the two worst countries when it comes to trade policy anywhere in the world. What a shame that is,” Vance stated. He noted that while he expects such policies from China—which he identified as the primary economic competitor—they are unexpected coming from Canada.

A War of Words

The rhetoric has turned increasingly hostile on both sides of the border. Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to the aggressive tariff stance by threatening to cut off power to 1.5 million U.S. homes and businesses.

President Trump fired back via a Truth Social post on Monday, attacking Ford’s character and intelligence. The Ontario Premier did not hold back in his rebuttal, telling CTV that the President could “kiss my a--” and promising that Canadian officials would go at him “full-steam.” Ford later doubled down on the sentiment during a press conference, adding, “I have a lot of real estate on my ass, so he has a lot of room to kiss my a--.”