Obama Jokes About 'Evil Empire' Canada as Tariff Costs Hit Ohio Voters

American shoppers in Ohio are feeling the pinch from a trade war that former President Barack Obama called a fight with the "evil empire" of Canada. Speaking to a crowd in Cleveland on Saturday, Obama pointed out that the nation's longtime ally is now the primary target of the Trump administration's tariff policy.

The former president has been traveling the state to support Democratic candidates ahead of the November elections. He argued that the higher prices resulting from the tariffs are falling on everyday Americans. Obama noted that these rising costs are already affecting Republican chances to hold their seats, especially in states that share a border with Canada.

The tension between the two countries has been building for a year. President Donald Trump launched his levy campaign last year, citing fentanyl trafficking and trade imbalances as reasons for the new taxes. Negotiations between the two governments collapsed in August. Since then, both sides have imposed retaliatory tariffs on each other's goods.

On Friday, Trump announced he intends to remove tariffs on certain Canadian products. However, Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc told CBC's Power & Politics that Ottawa does not expect a final agreement to be reached before the November 3 vote. LeBlanc said the timeline is tight for closing a deal.

Trump has frequently mentioned Canada in his own recent rallies. On October 17 in Highland Heights, Kentucky, he predicted a future deal would be amazing. He claimed the U.S. has lost billions of dollars in previous years and that Canada felt emboldened by that loss. The crowd cheered when he called former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a loser.

Trump also commented on the current Prime Minister, Mark Carney. He described Carney as a nice person who becomes less friendly during trade discussions. Trump said Canada is learning and suffering under the current trade conditions. Obama, meanwhile, joked that Canada provided the U.S. with maple syrup and Martin Short, calling them the nicest people.