On January 20, Donald Trump began his term as the 47th US president. Trump, a member of the Republican Party, previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

In interviews with The Varsity, U of T political science professors Ryan Hurl and Randall Hansen weighed in on Trump’s presidency and its implications for Canada.

Who is Donald Trump?

In May, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in a hush money trial. A jury also found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation in May 2023.

While some US states prohibit convicted felons from voting, a convicted felon can still run for the presidency. In November, Trump not only won the presidential election, but he also won 49.8 per cent of the popular vote. 

In his first term, Trump’s policy record included major changes such as dramatic corporate tax cuts, pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and appointing three conservative federal justices to the Supreme Court. Trump has since taken credit for overturning Roe v. Wade — a landmark case that upheld a constitutional right to abortion — through the Supreme Court, leaving abortion laws up to individual states. 

Trump’s administration also restricted legal immigration, continued to build a border wall between Mexico and the US, and started a trade war with China. 

During his term, Republicans and Democrats became more divided over his handling of the presidency. In his final weeks in office, his overall approval rate fell to 29 per cent. 

Trump’s executive orders

On February 1, Trump announced that he’d signed an executive order that imposes 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada. He claimed that the amount of fentanyl flowing into the US from Canada was the reason behind his decision, and that he wanted Canada to tighten its border security. 

He also added a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and a 10 per cent levy on goods from China. All three targeted countries have since responded with their own retaliatory tariffs against Trump. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau imposed a retaliatory 25 per cent tariff on roughly $30 billion of US goods. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also threatened to cut off electricity. 

Canadians have voiced that the US tariff would negatively impact Canada’s economy in the near future — especially as overall food prices are expected to increase up to five per cent this year according to Canada’s 2025 Food Price Report.

Permanent tariffs can cause a permanent increase in price levels and potentially increase inflation. 

Trump later dropped his plan to levy tariffs on Canada for at least 30 days after Trudeau announced his commitments to improve border security. Specifically, the prime minister made a promise to appoint a fentanyl “czar” and add Mexican cartels — the top dealers of fentanyl and other drugs in Canada and the US — to the terrorist list under Canadian law. 

Since being elected, Trump has signed over 50 executive orders, including pauses on foreign aid, bans on transgender people serving in the military, and ending all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs across the federal government.

U of T professors reflect

The Varsity spoke to U of T professors who were concerned about the Trump administration and its impact on Canada’s economy.

Hurl, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science who teaches American politics, said it was “hard to understand how anyone could continue to support Trump after January 6.” 

On January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the US Capitol following Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. The rioters then disrupted the Congress session convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results. About 150 officers were injured and five people were killed. Since his re-election, Trump granted pardons to those convicted for their actions on January 6.

For Hurl, Trump’s reelection “shows a level of bad judgment” on the part of Americans “that is incomprehensible.” 

Hansen, another political science professor and Canada Research Chair in Immigration and Governance at U of T, noted that Trump’s reelection is “very worrying,” given his conviction of 34 felony counts. 

Hansen said that the 2024 election showed that a “convicted felon and someone who launched an insurrection should be treated no differently than a Black American who is guilty of armed robbery… Ask yourself if the courts have treated those two individuals the same way — the answer is certainly not.” 

He wants Canadians to know that, despite the economic hardship they may face in the next four years, “there was an America before Trump,” and “there will be an America after Trump.” 

Hansen believes the importance of the relationship between Canada and the United States “will last.”

Even if tariffs are not imposed due to a negotiation between the two countries, Hansen argues that Canada should do three things: “One, get rid of these absurd and ludicrous trade barriers between the provinces… Two, take advantage of existing trade relationships, such as with the [European Union], to seek out new markets… Then thirdly, look to expand other trade abroad.” 

Many provinces have interprovincial trade barriers that restrict the export of certain goods to other provinces within Canada. These restrictions include varying licensing requirements for moving products and foods across the provincial border, professional certifications for securing a job in different provinces, trucking regulations, alcohol distribution laws, and supply management in agriculture. 

In 2017, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian Free Trade Agreement to decrease the number of internal trade barriers. However, many restrictions remain in place today. 

“It’s not going to be in Canada’s interest to respond to Trumpian provocations in a Trumpian way,” Hurl explained. “And so we have to just consider very seriously our own long term interest and not respond to Trump’s belligerence with more belligerence.”