‘Don’t ask me a trade question’: Trump scolds reporter during live briefing

During a ceremony Friday celebrating a brokered peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, President Donald Trump snapped at a reporter who asked him about U.S. trade policies on Canada.

Earlier on Friday, Trump announced that trade negotiations had been halted with Canada, citing Canada’s digital services tax on American tech firms as the primary reason for the fallout. While handing out commemorative coins to Rwanda and Congo leaders, as well as a journalist during the peace deal ceremony, Trump was asked by a reporter, “Why not Canada?”

“Why?” Trump snapped. “Because this is about a different subject right now, this is right now, actually, a much more important subject, we just ended a war that was going on for 30 years, where 6 million people died, so don’t ask me a trade question on Canada.”

The Trump-imposed reciprocal tariffs were paused back in March for 90 days, and with the pause set to expire on July 9, trade talks with countries the world over, including Canada, have ramped up in recent weeks. With trade talks between the United States and Canada now halted, Trump said talks wouldn’t resume until Canada "straightens out its act."

“We have all the cards, every single one; we don’t want to do anything bad, but economically we have such power over Canada,” Trump said during the same ceremony, fielding a question from another reporter on trade.

“I’d rather not use it, but they did something with our tech companies today, trying to copy Europe; it’s not going to work out well for Europe, and it’s not going to work out well for Canada. They were foolish to do it, so I said we’re going to stop all negotiations with Canada right now until they straighten out their act.”

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