Trump's team accuses Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of stabbing him in the back

Maureen Groppe | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption All G7 Members Sign Statement Amid Tensions Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says all countries attending the Group of Seven summit have signed a joint communique despite sharp trade tensions with the U.S. (June 9)

WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials on Sunday accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of stabbing President Trump in the back, blaming him for the president's refusal to endorse a joint statement with other world leaders.

"There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Fox News Sunday. "And that’s what bad faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference."

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow accused Trudeau of undermining Trump right before his meeting in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"It is a historic negotiation and there is no way this president is not going to stand strong," Kudkow said on CBS' Face the Nation. "He's not going to allow the people to suddenly take pot shots at him."

Later, after getting up in Singapore on Monday morning ahead of his Tuesday summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump tweeted that "Fair Trade is now to be called Fool Trade if it is not Reciprocal. According to a Canada release they make almost 100 Billion Dollars in Trade with U.S. (guess they were bragging and got caught!). Minimum is 17B. Tax Dairy from us at 270%. Then Justin acts hurt when called out."

Fair Trade is now to be called Fool Trade if it is not Reciprocal. According to a Canada release, they make almost 100 Billion Dollars in Trade with U.S. (guess they were bragging and got caught!). Minimum is 17B. Tax Dairy from us at 270%. Then Justin acts hurt when called out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totaled an estimated $673.9 billion in 2017. Exports were $341.2 billion; imports were $332.8 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Canada was $8.4 billion in 2017.

However, the USTR points out that the international shipment of non-U.S. goods through the U.S. can make standard measures of bilateral trade balances "potentially misleading."

Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades, while our Farmers, Workers & Taxpayers have such a big and unfair price to pay? Not fair to the PEOPLE of America! $800 Billion Trade Deficit... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018

The USTR says U.S. statistics count goods coming into the U.S. customs territory from third countries and being exported to U.S. trading partners, without substantial transformation, as exports from the United States. Canada and Mexico, however, count these re-exported goods as imports from the actual country of origin.

So, the U.S. data report a $17.5 billion goods deficit with Canada in 2017, and a $71.1 billion goods deficit with Mexico. Both countries, however, reported substantially larger U.S. goods surpluses in the same relationship. In 2017, Canada reported a $97.7 billion surplus, and Mexico a $132.4 billion surplus, according to the USTR.

That could account for the differences in trade numbers referenced in the president's tweets Monday.

He also blasted "countries that rip us off on Trade" for not paying "close to the entire cost of NATO-protecting." He encouraged the countries to pay more for U.S. military efforts.

....And add to that the fact that the U.S. pays close to the entire cost of NATO-protecting many of these same countries that rip us off on Trade (they pay only a fraction of the cost-and laugh!). The European Union had a $151 Billion Surplus-should pay much more for Military! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018

....Germany pays 1% (slowly) of GDP towards NATO, while we pay 4% of a MUCH larger GDP. Does anybody believe that makes sense? We protect Europe (which is good) at great financial loss, and then get unfairly clobbered on Trade. Change is coming! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, said Trump wasn't just taking on Trudeau, but all of the United States' best allies by not signing the G-7 statement after a two-day meeting in Canada with leaders of the world's largest industrialized economies.

“We don’t want to stand alone in the world," Feinstein said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union. "We need to stand with our democratic allies.”

Trump said on Twitter Saturday he directed officials not to endorse the communique as a response to comments made by Trudeau at a news conference after Trump left for his meeting in Singapore.

Trudeau told reporters that Canada would move forward on July 1 with retaliatory tariffs to answer for Trump's tariffs on aluminum and steel that were "unjustly applied to us."

"I have made it very clear to the president that it is not something we relish doing, but it is something that we absolutely will do because Canadians, we're polite, we're reasonable, but we also will not be pushed around," Trudeau said.

Navarro called Trudeau's comments "nothing short of an attack on our political system." He accused Canada — America's second largest trading partner — of bungling the trade relationship between the countries and of trying to raise "protectionist barriers even higher" on Canadian products like maple syrup.

“They are simply not playing fair — dishonest, weak," Navarro said, echoing some of the same words Trump used in his tweets.

Like Navarro and Kudlow, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also called Trudeau's comments a stab in the back to Trump.

"He's not going to tolerate that, nor should he," Graham said on Fox News.

But Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is often aligned with Graham, pushed back Saturday against Trump's refusal to sign the G-7 statement.

"To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro-globalization & supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values," McCain tweeted. "Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn't."