Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is turning up the heat on President Donald Trump, accusing him of wrecking one of the United States’ longest-standing alliances.
“Well, it wasn’t easy, but Trump did it,” Sanders posted on X. “He ended the several hundred-year friendship between the US and Canada—our neighbor and closest ally. Isolationism is a dumb idea, but going out of your way to get countries around the world to actually hate us is even stupider.”
Canada Calls It Quits on the Old Relationship
Sanders’ post came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the old relationship between Canada and the U.S. is effectively over.
Carney cited Trump’s sweeping new tariffs—25% on imported vehicles and parts—as the final straw. “That’s finished with these tariffs,” Carney said in French, referring to the 1965 Canada-U.S. Auto Pact.
Carney said Canada would retaliate with tariffs designed to have “maximum impact” on the U.S. and called for a total rethink of Canada’s economy and trade strategy.
‘Trump Has No Mandate’
Sanders has also pushed back on what he sees as Trump’s claim to broad public support.
“Trump likes to talk about his ‘mandate.’ Really?” Sanders wrote. “He got 4 million fewer votes than Biden in 2020, and the only president with a lower approval rating at this point in his presidency was Trump in his first term. Trump has no mandate to move us to oligarchy or authoritarianism.”
The senator is currently traveling the western U.S. with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. At rallies in Arizona and Nevada, both have urged Democrats to fight harder for working-class Americans and resist Trump’s agenda.
Law Firm Controversy Adds Fuel to the Fire
Sanders also blasted Trump over an escalating controversy involving the law firm Paul, Weiss. He accused Trump of threatening the firm with an illegal executive order, which he claims forced them to hand over $40 million.
“Trump is undermining our democracy piece by piece,” Sanders said. “They caved and gave Trump $40 million. They care more about their bottom line than our democracy. We won’t forget.”
Legal experts have described Trump’s recent actions—including a memo allowing sanctions on firms that file lawsuits against the administration—as a serious attack on the legal system. Trump ally Steve Bannon made the administration’s goals clear: “What we are trying to do is put you out of business and bankrupt you.”
‘A Government of the Billionaire Class’
At recent events, Sanders has continued warning that the U.S. is sliding toward authoritarianism, bolstered by billionaire influence. He cited reports that Elon Musk donated nearly $300 million to support Trump and other Republicans in 2024.
“You’ve gotta be kind of blind not to understand that you have a government of the billionaire class, for the billionaire class, by the billionaire class,” Sanders said.
Despite speculation about future political plans, Sanders said he’s not running for president again. But he made it clear the fight isn’t over.
“Stress every day to pay the rent. That’s what it’s about,” he said. “In the richest country in the world, working-class people should not have to die unnaturally young. They should be able to live long and productive lives.”
As Sanders sees it, Trump’s isolationist moves and power plays don’t reflect the will of the people—and the consequences are already showing up on the world stage.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Bernie Sanders” by Jackson Lanier, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Image adjusted for layout.