WASHINGTON — Donald Trump clinched the United States election after a tumultuous campaign as Canadian officials espoused the important relationship between neighbours in congratulations to the former president on his extraordinary comeback.
"I will govern by a simple motto: promises made, promises kept," Trump said to cheering party faithful at a Florida watch party.
Trump was elected the 47th president of a deeply divided America by prevailing among voters in key battleground states and the Democrats' critical "blue wall" states.
Trump posted early wins by taking North Carolina and Georgia. The path to victory became clear when he won the campaign's most sought-after 19 electoral college votes in Pennsylvania.
He cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency early Wednesday morning with a win in Wisconsin.
Vice-President Kamala Harris did not appear at her election night party at her alma mater Howard University in Washington. But she called Trump Wednesday to congratulate him on his election victory, according to a senior Harris aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the call.
The aide said Harris discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power with Trump ahead of her planned concession speech Wednesday afternoon.
Matthew Lebo, a specialist in U.S. politics at Western University in London, Ont., said it's clear there was "an unhappy electorate that went through COVID and rising prices and international crisis."
The Republicans took control of the U.S. Senate after flipping several Democrat seats. Results for control of the House of Representatives remained undecided.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump on seizing a second term in office. He said Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful partnership.
"The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world," he said on X. "I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations."
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the U.S. Canada's "best friend" and said he would work with the president-elect to benefit both countries. Poilievre said Trump's proposed tax cuts could lure Canadian jobs south.
"My mission: save our jobs," Poilievre said on X.
Canada will not be able to escape the geopolitical pull from the change in administration of its closest neighbour.
Trump has proposed 10 per cent across-the-board tariffs, making the duties the centrepiece of his platform. A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report suggests those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.
"I would say it's code red in Canada-U.S. relations," said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa and co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations.
Hampson said Canada should not panic but must expand its effort to build relationships with U.S. lawmakers at all levels and move away from strategies of quiet diplomacy.
Canadian officials have been reaching out to members of the Republican leader's team for months, emphasizing the importance of the bilateral relationship.
Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., also sent her congratulations to Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
"We have the great fortune of being neighbours, and the U.S. has no closer partner and ally than Canada," Hillman posted on social media. "Looking forward to working together towards a more prosperous and secure future."
The first Trump administration demonstrated how vulnerable Canada can be when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Negotiating its successor, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, was a key test for Ottawa after Trump's 2016 victory. The trilateral agreement will come under review in 2026.
Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman said he's been warning Canadian officials that Trump would bring a "tsunami" to its borders.
"I am hopeful the work that has been done up to this point, and the work that I hope Canada will do, will prepare it for potential pretty significant outcomes of a Trump presidency," said Heyman, who served as ambassador from 2014 to 2017.
Heyman said Trump's threats of mass deportations could trigger a surge of people to Canada's border. He cautioned the numbers could be higher this time than after Trump's 2016 win.
The former ambassador said there will be other bilateral issues.
Trump has repeatedly claimed he would not defend NATO members that don't meet defence spending targets — something Canada is not doing.
Trudeau promised to meet the target of spending the equivalent of two per cent of GDP on defence by 2032.
But Kelly Craft, Trump's former ambassador to Canada, recently said when her old boss returns to office he'll expect Ottawa to speed up that timeline.
Defence Minister Bill Blair gave no indication that would happen on Wednesday.
"We've made a commitment to our NATO — all of our NATO allies, including the United States, that we have a plan to get there, and we're going to work really hard," he said.
Blair also said he expects all allies to continue supporting Ukraine, despite Trump's pledge to slash aid to the country.
Trump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He is the first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, is the oldest person elected to the office.
Vance will become the first millennial to hold the title of vice-president.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
— With files from The Associated Press
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
