MAGA boasts of tariff 'deals' with Canada and Mexico while rest of world laughs: 'Trump got played!'

MAGAworld is crowing about Donald Trump's last-minute "agreement" with Canada and Mexico — with Fox News going so far as to call the tariff pause "the art of the deal." But the rest of the world is getting a good chuckle, saying the "deals" Trump made with bordering countries were already in place months and even years before there was ever a Trump 2.0.

In other words, "Trump got played" by Canada's Justin Trudeau, and "tricked" by Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, say his critics.

On Trump's so-called deal with Canada, which promises to send 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Canadian border along with a $1.3 billion border protection plan, via Raw Story:

Critics weighed in on the deal — and said Trump may have gotten outsmarted, as many of the promises were already announced last year.

"Trump got played again. Canada *already* has 8,500 frontline personnel at the border," wrote former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan.

"We also announced the $1.3 billion in december. lol," replied Canadian journalist Jordan Heath-Rawlings.

"LOL Canada gave our felonious, imbecilic president ice in winter and he took it," chided conservative attorney George Conway, who co-founded the Lincoln Project. Sam Litzinger‪, former CBS News and Associated Press reporter, jabbed on Bluesky that "Trump is folding like a bad poker player…"

"FACT CHECK: Canada has already announced this plan BEFORE Trump announced his tariffs," noted Phil Williams, investigative reporter for WTVF-TV.

And on Trump's so-called deal with Mexico, in which President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 troops to the southern border, via a second article by Raw Story:

Many social media users pointed out that Mexico had already agreed to deploy troops to its northern border without risking economic catastrophe through tariffs.

"Mexico has made similar agreements without the threat of tariffs," posted Sam Stein, of The Bulwark and MSNBC. "Here in 2021 they agreed to surge the same number of troops to help with migration. Here in 2022 they agreed to invest an additional $1.5B. Here in 2023 were 15 administrative actions."

"Surging 10,000 troops to the border is something Biden got them to do in the past w/o tanking the stock market," added attorney Marcy Wheeler. "Given that @Claudiashein got concessions by giving Trump what Mexico has already given the US, I gotta wonder whether Trump's tantrum was just about shorting the stock market."

As Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell sums it up, "It seems like the trick to negotiating with Trump is to realize he doesn't have any idea what the current facts are. 'Oh you want 10,000 troops?' says world leader who already deployed 15K. 'Great 10k it is.'"

Collins: Is there a tangible concession in your view?Davidson: Yeah, absolutely. It's a commitment from Trudeau to help with fentanylCollins: He announced that plan six weeks ago. Davidson: Well, at least he's reiterated it

Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-02-04T02:33:48.798Z

Previously: Mexico has Trump's number

[And the real reason Trump backed out of his tariffs and made these "deals": Trump admits tariffs may raise prices on goods]