As President Trump grouses about having to visit Canada and looks for new ways to punish the United States’ neighbor to the north, it is instructive to recall an earlier presidential trip.
President Ronald Reagan traveled to Ottawa in March 1981, shortly after taking office. The two nations were at odds over acid rain, fishing, automobile trade, a gas pipeline, Central America policy and more.
But in an address to Parliament, Reagan said, “A final word to the people of Canada: We’re happy to be your neighbor. We want to remain your friend. We’re determined to be your partner.”
The abject willingness of Republican politicians to discard their supposed fidelity to Reaganite principles has become so familiar in the Trump era that we hardly notice any longer. But a visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum here nonetheless is a shocking reminder of the vast gulf between the two Republican presidents — not only on issues but in philosophy, outlook and character.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member