The election of Donald Trump in November was not what the Justin Trudeau team expected. In that regard they are no different from most Canadians. The Liberals and Democrats had built a strong relationship, in good measure encouraged by the links between U.S. Republicans and the Conservatives under Stephen Harper.

On organizing, digital communication, messaging, and the strong personal chemistry between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau, there was more than just a little symmetry between the two leaders. There was every expectation this would continue under Hillary Clinton. The decision to hold a state dinner for Vice-President Joe Biden can only be understood in this context.

Trump’s election has changed, well, everything. Conservatives are rushing to mimic his style and rhetoric, in the unlikely persona of Kellie Leitch and Kevin O’Leary. Conrad Black and Brian Mulroney have gone out of their way to reassure Canadians that we have nothing to fear from Trump and that he will be a good president for Canada.

Prime Minister Trudeau was careful during the presidential election to avoid leaping into the fray, despite many temptations to do so. He quite rightly insisted he would have to work with whoever won the presidency. He has maintained that measured tone since the election, and has left it to countless others to express their hostility to the new president.

He would be wise to stay that course, avoiding the twin temptations of “don’t worry be happy” and “the sky is falling.” But that does not mean there is any room for complacency. The Keystone pipeline may get presidential approval, but not because Trump thinks he owes us a favour. Domestic priorities for the Republicans will rule the roost, which could mean greater receptivity to Canada’s oil exports but not for softwood lumber.

The opening of NAFTA would put issues on the table that are decidedly harmful to Canada — the status of our dairy and poultry industries for example — and there are countless ways in which protectionist interests can be brought to bear against us.

It is worth remembering a simple formula — well over half the Senators come from states with less than 20 per cent of the population. They voted for Trump. Their Senators have axes to grind, and they’ve got a president who will listen.

It is not just the bilateral relationship that will be affected. We can’t pretend the premise of Trudeau’s vision and policies are the same as President Trump’s. We don’t have to pick fights or have rhetorical quarrels, but Trudeau’s political raison d’être can’t be thrown under the bus either. It will take every ounce of political skill and sophistication to articulate a different view of the world without sounding like the “anti-Trump” every day.

Canada’s Conservatives would be wise to realize that American and Canadian politics are different, and after the last election that gap has grown wider. Whether Canadians learn to grow less appalled by Trump, his cabinet, and his political direction, will depend entirely on what he does. Those blithe spirits who tell us that everything will be just fine are underestimating the damage the announced agenda can do to the world and to Canada. His latest salvo on the need for the United States to strengthen its nuclear arsenal is actually a call for a renewed arms race. Putin will follow suit.

Team Canada needs to stay together in advancing our common interests in Washington and the state capitals, and the Liberal government needs to be prepared to articulate a vision of the world that is both compassionate and tough minded. Brexit and Trump have given ample voice to the populism of our time, and liberalism and social democracy need to show themselves capable of responding to that challenge. The United States is our neighbour, and we share important interests and values, but we would be unwise to pretend that Trump’s politics are an easy fit for us.

Correction – December 28, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that misspelled Stephen Harper’s given name. The article also misspelled Kellie Leitch’s given name.

Bob Rae is a partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP and teaches at the University of Toronto.

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