Dear America,

Are your ears burning? Because there’s one topic of conversation in Canada at the moment and it’s you.

It started when we woke up on November 6, 2024 only to learn, to our horror, that the majority of you had voted for Donald Trump as President. It was as if Trump’s first term had been a golden age for which you longed. As if you’d collectively said, “Sure, let’s vote for a convicted criminal who’s also an insurrectionist and adjudicated rapist and see how that works out. What’s the worst that could happen?”

You may not care, but do you have any idea how the rest of the world looks at you? We look at you the way we’d look at an old friend who’s developed dementia and is now lashing out at everyone and everything. Today, the United States seems to value, above all else, ignorance and hate. Vaccines cause autism (they don’t). Immigrants and migrants are criminals (they aren’t). You speak American (you don’t). Clean energy is bad; dirty energy is good (what?). Climate change is a hoax (it isn’t). Given a conflict between science and dogma, dogma prevails. Friends are enemies and enemies are friends.

Then there are Trump’s tariffs, which even the Wall Street Journal calls “dumb.” The most recent tariffs against Canada (according to the WSJ) are “dumber.” This isn’t to mention how Trump has disrespected Canada since he came into office, referring to us as “the 51st state.” You may think it’s a joke but to Canadians it’s a vile insult. American disrespect came to the fore during the recent trade negotiations as America tried to limit the countries with which Canada could enter into trade negotiations—a mind numbingly brazen attempt to impinge upon our sovereignty.

The thing is, the Canadian-American relationship is broken. Even if the next congress and president are sane, there’s no reason not to think that you’ll elect someone as crazy as Trump after that. It’s going to take at least a generation before Canadians (and the world) trust America, as a country that will keep it’s word, as a country that respects democracy, and as a country that isn’t going to put crazy, hateful, ignorant people in power.

You have a lot of work to do, America. You could start by electing some sensible politicians in November.