Manitoba PC leadership candidates condemn Trump tariffs, hold fire against president himself

The candidates to lead Manitoba's Progressive Conservative Party condemned Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods on Friday but were more circumspect about their opinions of the U.S. president himself.

PC leadership candidates Obby Khan and Wally Daudrich, who issued supportive statements about Trump earlier this winter, said Trump's on-again, off-again tariff threats have undermined the Canadian business environment.

"I'm uneasy about what Trump is doing right now," Daudrich said Friday in an interview.

"Here we are today with a belligerent person to the south that is, I think, using whatever mechanisms that he can to soften us up and make us more pliable to his demands."

In January, when Trump was inaugurated as president for the second time, Daudrich took to social media to congratulate Trump. He also suggested at a public forum that month that Trump's re-election has set the table for socially conservative politics north of the border, the Winnipeg Free Press reported.

In February, during a podcast appearance, Khan thanked Trump for ordering up tariffs that the Fort Whyte MLA said contributed to Justin Trudeau's decision to resign as Canada's prime minister.

On Friday, Khan insisted he does not support the tariffs themselves.

"Under no circumstances do I think that Trump's tariffs are a good thing and would I ever thank him for anything that he has done in that regard," Khan said in an interview.

"That threat alone has caused so much uncertainty to businesses, Manitoba and Canada and on the other side of the border, it's going to make life harder for everyone.

"If anyone took it that way that I was thanking Trump for the tariffs, not at all. It was a thankful comment that Justin Trudeau is gone."

Trudeau remains prime minister until the Liberal Party of Canada chooses a new leader, something slated to take place Sunday, and that successor is sworn in.

On Wednesday, Premier Wab Kinew used the first question period of a new sitting of the Manitoba Legislature to draw attention to Daudrich and Khan's earlier comments about Trump.

"The leadership has devolved into contest into who can suck up to Donald Trump more," Kinew said.

Daudrich suggested Friday he does not subscribe to Trump's brand of conservatism but also did not criticize the U.S. president, beyond his attempts to bully Canada.

"We're getting support based on our values," said Daudrich, referring to his campaign for PC leader. "Whether Donald Trump shares those values or not, I can look at it from day-to-day and say, 'Yes, no, yes, no.' I am an independent person."

Khan, meanwhile, declined to say what he thinks about Trump beyond his economic policies and bullying behaviour.

"If we're talking about the tariffs and the economics of Manitoba, we have to stand up to Trump. You have to stand up to a bully when a bully is coming down on you," Khan said. "We have to stand united as a country, which I think is actually happening right now."

Both Khan and Daudrich said Manitoba has to grow its economy and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers in response to the U.S. tariff threat.

Daudrich also criticized Kinew's response to the tariffs, calling his decision to remove U.S. alcohol for Manitoba liquor store shelves a move "so symbolic, it's pathetic."

Daudrich and Khan have been campaigning to become Manitoba's next PC leader since October. The deadline to sign up new party members closed on Feb. 28.

The party intends to mail leadership ballots to members next week and announce the winner of the contest at a convention slated for April 26.