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Trump threatens tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke

scienceJul 18, 202616413,311

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 17 that the United States is being "unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air" and threatened to add higher tariffs on Canada over hazardous smoke drifting into the U.S. from hundreds of Canadian wildfires. Trump said he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and blamed "willful negligence" and poor forest management in Canada, saying the cost of the pollution "must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying." The Canadian government says it has over 900 wildfires, including about 120 burning out of control and more than a dozen fires near the U.S. borders with Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine; Ontario has faced widespread evacuations. Smoke from those blazes has degraded air quality from Minnesota to New York, in some places reaching record-poor levels. A July 15 letter from four Republican Michigan lawmakers said hospitals are treating children, dialysis patients, and older residents for smoke effects and warned the U.S. may pursue cross-border fuel reduction and firefighting involvement if Canada does not act. U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno said he plans to introduce a House bill to declare an emergency, sanction the Canadian government, and revoke visas over the smoke. Ontario Premier Doug Ford noted on July 17 that the province has repeatedly helped the U.S. with wildfires while the Canadian government warned on its wildfire page that heavy smoke is expected to continue in coming days.

Ricky Davila
@therickydavila.bsky.social

The orange felon is threatening Canada with more tariffs because of wildfire smoke drifting to the US. For context, Canada sent fire crews to the US when Southern California was being ravaged by catastrophic blazes. He’s a piece of shit. Sending love to our Canadian friends. 🇨🇦

505144d ago
Quoting this
Nessie is a cancer warrior. #FuckCancer12

RIP Nicholas Dale, Canadian Firefighter. Tragically killed fighting a wildfire in Colorado. This father of 2 gave his life, supporting our neighbours south of the border, fighting THEIR forest fire. That's all I have to say on this matter. 😢💔🇨🇦

Shannon Drake 🌒🌕🌘🇺🇸🇺🇦🇵🇸🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️11

We love our northern neighbors no matter what ❤️ Sorry that our faux government is such a shitshow

The Captain9

Yes indeed. Americans love our Canadian neighbors. Our president hates anyone who abides by norms and laws.

Mary McNamara8

Much love to the Canadians. Hey everyone in California ask @governor.ca.gov @gavinnewsom.bsky.social to make some CalFire resources available to Canada as a gesture of goodwill.

ANTIFA Birdie🐦🇨🇦 🫘2

He is a piece of shit. Love you back

💙 Proud Woke Liberal 💙2

🇺🇸🥰🇨🇦 Please know that the FDJT Regime is not America. America would send crews to help you with those catastrophic fires. Elbows up.

Dixie 4 now ❤️🇺🇦❤️🇺🇸❤️🇬🇧❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿2

I thought about that. Canada has been our stalwart friend in times of need, especially after 9/11, but since then, too. Every time 🍊insults or threatens them I cringe. Apologies can only go so far. Americans need to send TP back to FL for our country’s sake, and for our allies’ sakes as well. Peace.

shamas.bsky.social2

No good deed goes unpunished.

Scalawag Jack2

Murika: where Honor goes to die.

David Roberts
@volts.wtf

We didn't previously integrate wildfire-smoke costs into the supposed cost of climate change for the US, and it turns out to be bigger than all those other costs combined. Oops! Gosh I wonder if we're underestimating anything else. Probably shoulda done something about this. Ah well.

121344d ago
Quoting this
Dave Vetter118

Absolutely wild. Read that again: the *actual* costs of *just wildfire smoke* are higher than the currently projected costs of *all climate impacts combined*.

Brent Toderian86

It’s always been arrogant to assume that we can predict even most of the costs of #ClimateChange. Let alone presume that we can properly quantify them, and successfully adapt to them. A key word with a lot of our climate failure is arrogance. Along with selfishness and greed. #ClimateCrisis

WingsNDNSilver10

WHAT This is I can't

Ken Burnside5

We still can. Execution of the executive suites of 57 corporations would send a message that we're serious about reducing carbon emissions by 80%!

Nathan Newman- Working to 8647, the Pedophile Rapist5

Damn, fucking up the ecosystem all life depends on has unexpected costs. As weather disasters accelerate just choking on the smoke of wildfires turns out to be an even bigger killer.

Andy3

It's only a bigger issue because the media can't obscure it. There are far worse things happening, but hundreds of millions of $ in propaganda are being deployed to cover the crimes.

James Mac, CEO of ANTIFA™️2

Idk man I feel like going to outdoor events in this is some really weird and cultish don’t look up type behavior 😬

James Goodwin2

I get yelled at a lot by people on the Left for shitting on the idea of the Social Cost of Carbon

shademar2

Having spent most of my life in CA, but enough in the DMV area to see how little people even noticed the West Coast, I've often wondered if things would be different if the East Coast experienced what we have so often. We may be beginning to see that, but prob in the worst possible way.

Aaron Parnas
@aaronparnas.bsky.social

NEWS: Republicans urged by leadership to avoid Trump's election lies. Trump begins gutting election offices and cybersecurity measures. Republicans seek to revoke Canadian visas and declare Canadians "persona non grata" over wildfire smoke. Moscow burns as Ukrainian strikes escalate. Subscribe:

50244d ago
Charlie Angus
@charlieangus104.bsky.social

Donald Trump is using the climate fires to threaten Canada. MAGA politicians are saying it's our last warning and threatening to come over the border. Meanwhile a Canadian firefighter died helping people in Colorado. It would be ridiculous if it wasn't so serious. My latest youtu.be/hqPHvJJc1Ck?...

40444d ago
Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they)
@doctorvive.bsky.social

“The cost of climate-worsened wildfire smoke alone is larger than what earlier studies said every other estimated cost of climate change would be, combined.”

•
DAILY BRIEFING
What Worries Me Most About This Wildfire
Smoke
We didn't know days like this could happen.
Then we learned how bad they really are.
ROBINSON MEYER
• JULY 17, 2026
•
33745d ago
Dr. Mar
@boldnewme.bsky.social

“BREAKING: Trump Promises To Tariff Canada, Freeze Canadian Assets, Yank Canadian Visas, For Wildfire Smoke The Same Week A Canadian Died Fighting Wildfires In Colorado.” -Dean Blundell

12344d ago
3 sources