All Trump had to do was stay out of Canadian affairs for 3 months ... but Trump had to get even with Trudeau ...
The Liberals Carney would've been forced into an early election with all of Trudeau's baggage, and lost big-time ... we were all set finally get rid of these bastards after 10 years of hell
Instead, Trump declared economic war on every country in the World except Russia, allowing Carney to play the brave Capt. Canada
Result? Another majority for Justin Trudeau's party ...
Now Canada is hooped for another 4 years ... thanks for nothing, Mr. Trump!!
Similar dyanamic re Greenland. If Trump hadn't demanded to buy the island, threatened to take it by any means necessary, he could have sweet-talked the Greenland independence movement with an offer of a Compact of Free Association, and more development funds than Denmark currently gives, and gotten not ownership, not incorporation into the United States, but effective control for both economic development purposes -- US companies get dibs, the Chinese are kept out -- and military purposes.
This is the most maddening thing about Trump: he correctly identifies goals and problems to be solved, but insists on pursuing the goals and "solving" the problems with dumbass ideas that come out of his own head, rather than consulting people with relevant expertise. Even if we were to concede his view that he is always the smartest person in the room (a dubious proposition, but conceded it for argument's sake) he is almost never the most knowledgeable about any particular policy domain.