In what鈥檚 almost certainly a first in the lengthy history of bilateral relations between the countries, Canada鈥檚 summer-jobs program has become the object of criticism from America鈥檚 right wing.
The reason is abortion.
A former Trump White House adviser, several news organizations and the president鈥檚 favourite Fox 亚洲天堂 morning show have all dumped on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 explanation for why pro-life groups should be excluded from $220 million in federal jobs grants.
The prime minister鈥檚 suggestion that pro-life groups were out of line with Canadian society triggered criticism in the country next door 鈥� where abortion remains a subject of mainstream political debate and is a central issue in the struggle for control of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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鈥淭his man is reprehensible,鈥� tweeted former White House staffer Sebastian Gorka.
This man is reprehensible.
鈥� Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka)
It鈥檚 not the first time Trudeau has landed on the radar of the American right.
While he鈥檚 drawn fawning profiles in mainstream magazines and polls have suggested he鈥檚 relatively well-liked in the U.S., there are three cases now where he鈥檚 drawn conservative ire down south, after his praiseful eulogizing of Fidel Castro and the multimillion-dollar legal settlement with Omar Khadr.
There were even a few boos at a Republican rally in Florida recently when President Donald Trump mentioned Trudeau鈥檚 name 鈥� though the president interjected quickly to silence them: 鈥淣o, I like him,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淣ice guy. Good guy.鈥�
The latest controversy involves a new Canadian policy 鈥� when applying for federal grants for student jobs, organizations are now required to sign a form attesting that neither their core mission, nor the job being funded, opposes human rights, including reproductive rights.
Pro-life activists are suing the federal government over it.
The abortion controversy produced a segment Monday on the morning show 鈥淔ox and Friends鈥�.
Host Brian Kilmeade said: 鈥淲hat message is he trying to send to us, maybe?鈥� Co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy added: 鈥淲hat happens in Canada often comes down to us. This is an effort to silence pro-lifers. 鈥� This is a sign of intolerance. If you have a pro-life view you鈥檙e not welcome to share it or else you鈥檙e kicked out of this program.鈥�
They invited the head of largest American annual pro-life march onto the air to discuss it. Jeanne Mancini, whose annual March for Life is later this week, said she hoped to invite the prime minister to attend the rally.
鈥淏ecause he will see who鈥檚 really out of touch with mainstream America,鈥� Mancini said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e lost over 60 million Americans to abortion. To the prime minister, I would just really want to talk to him.鈥�
Trudeau discussed the controversy in an interview Monday with The Canadian Press.
He said he鈥檚 a Catholic who has long had to reconcile his religious beliefs with his responsibilities as a political leader and he said the latter demands that he defend people鈥檚 rights.
In this case, he said that means a woman鈥檚 right to choose trumps the right to a federal grant.
鈥淎n organization that has as its stated goal to remove rights from Canadians, to remove the right that women have fought for to determine what happens to their own bodies, is not in line with where the charter (of Rights) is or where the government of Canada is,鈥� Trudeau said Monday.
鈥淐ertainly there is no obligation by the government of Canada to fund organizations that are determined to remove rights that have been so long fought for by women.鈥�
Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
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