Top Admiral Rebukes Trump Over Canada War Rhetoric
23m 17s
Admiral Samuel Paparo, the U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, dismissed a hypothetical request to invade Canada as absurd, calling it akin to a Martian invasion, and stressed that military actions follow presidential orders, not speculative or emotional scenarios. He affirmed Canada’s sovereign right to independently select its defense suppliers and military strategies, emphasizing interoperability over forced procurement. However, this stance contrasts sharply with the aggressive rhetoric of Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Canada, renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America," and used language similar to wartime invasions. Canadian military leaders responded by highlighting their national defense strategy focused on building domestic capabilities with allied partnerships. Widespread public and political criticism emerged over U.S. officials mocking Canadian cadets, promoting racial and gender bias, and undermining the alliance through actions perceived as disrespectful and unprofessional. These incidents have eroded trust in the U.S.-Canada relationship, with Canadian leaders calling for serious, respectful diplomacy to restore alliance credibility. The growing disconnect between official statements and actions reflects deeper concerns about the erosion of diplomatic norms and mutual respect in a key transnational alliance.
The top United States military commander in the Indo-Pacific Admiral Samuel Paparo was asked a critical question moments ago by the press during the Indo-Pacific Defense Conference in Canada. He was there in British Columbia with his counterpart, the leader of the Canadian military, and he was asked a critical question, "How would you respond if Donald Trump gave you the order to invade Canada?" "What would you do if Donald Trump called you up and said you need to launch military strikes against Canada?" And Admiral Paparo kind of laughed the question off. He was like, "That is a preposterous premise. It would be like asking what would I do if Martians came down from outer space?" But the member of the press continued to ask, "Hey, that's what Donald Trump is saying, though. And don't you think it's belittling to the Canadian people that you're just laughing this off when Donald Trump talks about annexation on a daily basis?" I want you to watch the response right here from Admiral Samuel Paparo, the United States Indo-Pacific commander, here play this clip. I'm familiar with your story period, so this is a question that is asked about this. But what circumstances would you obey it or the launch military action that's happened? I find that scenario to be absolutely and utterly preposterous. So I follow the orders of the commander-in-chief, but that is a needlessly emotional question. I don't forget my saying it, too, is that Canada is a close ally. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be insultured, but you didn't answer the question. I said, "I follow the orders of the president, and I find it to be a. " Would you ask me, please also, what my attack plans are for the Martians? Yes, sir. I don't dismiss you, but I do dismiss the question. You go a little, and that's the way you approach it at all. This is a serious question, a serious issue. I know it's not. I know it's hypothetical, but then the less you keep out part of it. Thank you very much. Now, he then goes on to talk about how the United States is okay with Canada procuring weapons from other sources other than the United States. And he says that from his vantage point, Canada as a sovereign nation should be free to pursue its own military strategies with the United States or on its own. That's up to the sovereign decision making of Canada. Well, Admiral Paparo, that's very different than what Donald Trump says on a daily basis. And what Pete Hoekstra, the ambassador to Canada from the United States says that despicable vile thing. What they're saying on a daily basis, they've threatened to pull out of norad if Canada does not buy American military weapons. They've threatened that they will launch their own military flyovers at Canada to intimidate people. If you know, if Canada does not buy from the United States, the United States Trump regime has also threatened to put kill switches in future weapons sold to Canada. So I know you're saying these words, but you do realize that your words are in stark contrast to what the commander in chief said for me to call him that is saying here in the United States. Listen to what Paparo says, play this clip. We're operating together now and today, and so Canada's sovereign decisions on its own defense industrial base is a sovereign matter between two respected allies together with a very long history together. And my viewpoint is as long as we remain interoperable within the alliance, you know, if the overall defense industrial base that supports defense Canada's defense needs, confers to a stronger Canada and a stronger U.S. Canada alliance, it's all it's to the good. And so there's no demand on the United States part that Canada procures U.S. equipment. There's just a need, a dire need that we'd be interoperable and General Karen Young, I think very well understands that. And we're I think we we're very committed to that. Then Paparo goes on to act like everything is normal. He's like, you know, in these military alliances between the United States and Canada and similar Western alliances and alliances that throughout the world, you know, we pride ourselves on our a political nature. You pride yourself on the a political nature. The Secretary of Defense is posting photos of Canadian cadets who haven't even graduated high school mocking their appearance. You have the Secretary of Defense firing top generals and admirals for launching investigations into Apache helicopters doing flyovers of kid rocks mansion. You have a Secretary of Defense refusing to promote black people and women as you stand next to a proud woman commander leading the Canadian army. So it's nice that you're saying these words, but stop pretending things are normal because it undermines your credibility. Admiral Paparo here play this clip. Military to military relationships are such a serious foundation. They're executed without emotion. They're executed on the facts, the facts on the ground of our requirement to defend our spaces together. And so these are foundations and militaries are designed to remain a political and ruthlessly focused on the facts of the geography and of the capability and of the long term interests of the country. And so while you do see, while you know, you do see political discussions take place for military professionals, we're always sort of ruthlessly focused on the mission ahead. And this professional ethos of a political military is really so common throughout the Indo-Pacific and throughout the world. And you know, that's how we deal with the, you know, up and down, so political discourse is with solid, mil-to-mil, apolitical, technically focused day-to-day alliance issues that we work together. Most people assume GLP ones cost a fortune and that assumption keeps them from even looking into the treatment. But the reality is GLP-1 medications may be more affordable and accessible than people realize. Roe helps people find more affordable path to FDA-approved GLP-1 treatment, whether that's through insurance coverage or cash pay options. Roe wants to help people lose weight. That's why they have some of the lowest cost GLP-1 options out there, whether you're paying with insurance or cash. Roe's free insurance checker will send you a comprehensive report of your coverage details so you can make the best decision that's right for your goals. And if insurance doesn't cover treatment, there are still options. 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And so it wouldn't even be a question that Canada would buy weapons from the United States. And now they're looking to sweeten with the greepin. They're looking to the global eye, rather than the E3s and the subsequent models of the AWACS over here. Why? Because of the constant barrage of threats by the Trump regime. When you say you're going to make something the 51st state and it comes from the commander in chief, who then posts a series of videos of himself kicking the sign from Lake Ontario over and treating Canada with other disrespect. And using the language of war, how do you think Canada is going to interpret it?
actually pissed me off that Admiral Paparo treated the report of that, oh, what a ridiculous, really it's a ridiculous question. Your commander, sadly, the commander in chief is behaving like a lunatic and he's saying these horrible horrific things. So yeah, the people of Canada have gone elbows up and they're taking it seriously. Listen to it, the leader of the Canadian military says, play this clip. So we are going by our defense industrial strategy. It's a by partner build, strategy, and it's founded on developing a strong and solid defense industrial base in Canada. This is incredibly important for a military to have a strong ecosystem around our forces. So there is sovereign, there are 10 sovereign capabilities that we want to build in Canada. And of course, the partner and the by, we can't make everything. We will need to acquire various capabilities through various like-minded partners and allies as well. So it's a mix of everything. And we are going by, again, meeting a specific military requirement because we need these capabilities to respond to what we need this to do militarily. And what does Donald Trump been doing more posts attacking Canada today? Apple Maps has just announced that it has changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. So now that very important change of names between Google Maps and Apple Maps is complete ratified and binding. Thank you for your attention to this matter. He called up the new CEO of Apple threatened, shook down the new CEO of Apple, shame on him, and he changed the maps. He changed the Apple Maps. He shook down the head of Google. They changed the maps as well. And then Donald Trump posting Christian leaders urged Trump to create legal pathway for Jewish Canadians facing anti-Semitism. Christian leaders are what are you even talking about? I mean, you do realize, Admiral Paparo, that Donald Trump has said that Canada is dumping its fentanyl into the United States. That Canada is killing the United States. Trump uses the same language about Canada that Putin uses about Ukraine before he invaded Ukraine. Like you do realize that he said it today. Here's what Trump said today. Here, play this clip. And I did change the name of a certain lake to Lake America. Just like I changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America and people in this country love it. You know, we have 92 percent of the frontage. And why was it Gulf of Mexico? We have most of the frontage, almost 93, 94 percent. And here's what Trump also said today. Play this clip. Like I have China coming here. A lot of people say who's the toughest one to deal with? Is it China sure? Is it China? Is it Vietnam? I said, no, actually it's Canada. Canada has felt emboldened. They had a president that didn't know what was happening. Not only the last one, all of them. I mean, they just were taken to do. Our country's been taken advantage of by Canada. Because I'll tell you how they're talking about it on Canadian media right here. Amanda Alvaro, who was a strategist for the Liberal Party. She was on CBC. Here's what she said. Well, it's pathetic, frankly. I mean, you have the Secretary of Defense of the most powerful military in the world using his enormous platform to mock and bully youth cadets, young women in a cadet program. Like this is not some random internet troll. This is a serious pattern with US administration, with the White House, with their allies. We're supposed to be their allies and to have no recognition for this alliance that's been built over decades and decades, and use every opportunity to mock and ridicule. I mean, it is, it is actually beyond pale. It's just, it's unfathomable that this is actually happening. It still blows my mind. And yet it happens daily. Charelle Evelyn said the following about Hegsit that cruelty is the point here. Play this clip. I mean, well, the cruelty is the point. He doesn't, he didn't care who these people were. He didn't care that they're, you know, teenagers and care that cadets. This is somebody who quotes fake Bible verses from pulp fiction and calls it and calls it, you know, a rousing speech. This is somebody who, you know, where as much as they like to bond the idea of merit in their own armed forces, you know, suddenly if someone's skin color isn't white, they, their accomplishments don't matter. So it's no, it's no real surprise that, of course, these are people who were going to, you know, poke at anybody who they view as outside of their own personal worldview of what matters and who matters and who is worthy of respect. And if we're talking about the fact that, you know, they're playing to this audience that they have who are, you know, they might be like, oh, this isn't what we voted for. I mean, well, it was. You just didn't think that this was going to be, that they weren't going to turn on use like specifically. You didn't think they were turn on people who look like you're people who support the military or people who did this and when it comes to the, the online sphere, the fact is like, yes, he has a beat access. He has a massive following and where did he get the information from, from Canadians who also has a massive following, who want to be noticed by those Americans with that massive following. So they are going to turn on their own countrymen to grift because that's, they see that is the, the path towards success, because in the United States, that is proven. You can get all the way to the White House. And you've got George Clooney over in Venice saying the following also about what Hegseth did. Let's play this clip. The idea that cruelty is the base that being cruel and unkind is part of the fun of all of this. You see what the Secretary of Defense just tweeted out a picture about women from, in the military, Canada. You're going through them with you. Where's the sense of decency in all of this? And I'm ashamed of all of that. Finally, you've got Charlie Angus from Midas Canada. Make sure you all subscribe to Midas Canada. Here's what Angus had to say earlier today. Play this clip. I think part of the problem is is that they don't have, they don't have the checks and balances. They don't have the people in the Pentagon or the White House who would be able to hold them back from the brink. So this is why I worry that we could, they could stumble even further in escalation because there's no one around Trump to say, this is a really dumb idea, Mr. President. Why are we doing this when we've got so many other issues? And the midterms are coming. What does it mean when we're watching a nation? An empire collapsed before our eyes with this kind of end of day's idiocy. And then you had Prime Minister Cardi, he was asked about American officials mocking Canada's military. It's cadets and posting memes. Here's what Cardi had to say. Play this clip. That officials have been mocking Canada's military. It's cadets. You had Trump renamed like Lake Ontario. And also some officials saying that Canada, the US is not actually more with Canada. The US is not actually at war with Canada. What do you make of all this? And what is your message to the US right now? What needs to happen next? Our message, our message first off has always been, our plan has always been standing up for Canada first and foremost here at home, building Canada at home, diversifying and broad. Everyone in the world wants to do more with Canada and we're doing that in a way that's in the best interest of Canadian workers, Canadian families, Canadian businesses. That's first. We have a positive, there's a positive opportunity that has always existed with the United States for a mutually beneficial trade deal. The respects Canadian sovereignty, which, and respects our right to protect and promote the Quebec culture and the French language. It must have those characteristics. And when the Americans stop doing memes, stop throne shade, stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions. We can have those discussions, but it's not constructive, but that's that's their democracy. More over here with Karney being asked about what do you make of US cabinet secretaries insulting the Canadian military? What do you make of US cabinet secretaries insulting the Canadian military? It's beneath their office. There you have it, everybody. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to seven million subscribers. Thanks for watching, everybody. Hey, if you want the full story, how democracy got here, and how we take it back, pre-order our new book WTF America Today. Just scan the QR code or click the link in the description. Let's do this.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Admiral Samuel Paparo, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, dismissed a hypothetical question about invading Canada as "preposterous," comparing it to a Martian invasion, emphasizing that he follows the U.S. President’s orders but not irrational or emotionally driven scenarios.
Paparo affirmed Canada’s sovereign right to choose its own defense suppliers and military strategies, stressing interoperability over mandatory procurement of U.S. weapons.
Critics argue Paparo’s response contradicts the aggressive rhetoric of Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Canada with military action, called it a "51st state," renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America," and used language akin to Putin’s attacks on Ukraine.
Canadian military leadership responded diplomatically, highlighting Canada’s 12-point defense industrial strategy to build local capabilities, with partnerships as a supplement, not a dependency.
Public backlash against U.S. officials—including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—over their mocking of Canadian cadets, gender bias, and social media attacks has intensified criticism of the Trump administration’s treatment of Canada as a serious ally.
Canadian leaders emphasize that persistent disrespect, political bullying, and lack of accountability undermine trust in the U.S.-Canada alliance and reflect a broader erosion of diplomatic norms.
Summary:
S. Indo-Pacific commander, dismissed a hypothetical request to invade Canada as absurd, calling it akin to a Martian invasion, and stressed that military actions follow presidential orders, not speculative or emotional scenarios. He affirmed Canada’s sovereign right to independently select its defense suppliers and military strategies, emphasizing interoperability over forced procurement.
However, this stance contrasts sharply with the aggressive rhetoric of Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Canada, renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America," and used language similar to wartime invasions. Canadian military leaders responded by highlighting their national defense strategy focused on building domestic capabilities with allied partnerships. S.
officials mocking Canadian cadets, promoting racial and gender bias, and undermining the alliance through actions perceived as disrespectful and unprofessional. -Canada relationship, with Canadian leaders calling for serious, respectful diplomacy to restore alliance credibility. The growing disconnect between official statements and actions reflects deeper concerns about the erosion of diplomatic norms and mutual respect in a key transnational alliance.
FAQs
Admiral Paparo dismissed the scenario as preposterous, stating it would be like asking what he would do if Martians invaded. He emphasized that he follows orders from the U.S. commander-in-chief, not hypothetical or politically motivated scenarios.
No, the U.S. does not demand that Canada procure weapons from American suppliers. Canada has sovereign rights to develop its own defense industrial base and can choose military equipment from any source, as long as interoperability is maintained.
The U.S. supports Canada's sovereign defense strategy, emphasizing interoperability and mutual defense. Both nations agree that a strong, independent Canadian defense industry benefits the alliance and enhances overall security.
Critics argue that such actions—like mocking cadets or renaming Lake Ontario—undermine the respect between allies and reflect a lack of professionalism, damaging the trust and credibility of the U.S.-Canada military relationship.
Trump’s comments are described as aggressive and reminiscent of wartime language, including claims that Canada is dumping fentanyl into the U.S. and calling Canada 'the toughest' nation to deal with, similar to how Putin speaks about Ukraine.
Yes, critics warn that unchecked political attacks—such as mocking Canadian forces or renaming geographical features—could fuel tensions and weaken the alliance, especially without internal checks and balances in the U.S. government.
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