Trump’s National Security (International Influence) Strategy

Trump’s new 2025 ‘National Security’ Strategy reveals the U.S. plans to use soft power – including private sector influence – to exert influence on other countries like Canada.

The strategy mentions the oil and gas and tech sectors in particular as tools for expanding U.S. influence and specifically declares climate action in other countries to be a threat to U.S. dominance. 

That’s worrying since, ICYMI, Mark Carney has been taking speech ideas from billionaire-founded ‘Build Canada’ linked to oil and gas interests and tech entrepreneur Tobias Lütke – who famously said Canada should not ‘hit back’ in response to U.S. tariffs and characterized Trump’s demands as reasonable. Is the Prime Minister getting his information from the right people? Or is he listening to the sort of ‘clueless bros’ who trust a deregulated free market alone to protect Canadian sovereignty?

Taken in isolation this incident might easily be written off. But there’s also:

• The recent unnecessary scrapping of climate policies, for a now useless industrial carbon price in Alberta, including the weakening of anti-greenwashing laws that simply prevented oil and gas corporations from lying and helped to safe-guard our democracy.
• The Federal Government’s decision to add the U.S.-owned Ksi Lisims LNG project – a project backed by friends of Trump – to its list of major projects.
• The rumours that within Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) that criticism of oil and gas’ economics has been silenced,
• NRCan’s failure to answer journalists’ questions on sustainable jobs.
• The NRCan cuts that will harm our ability to protect Canadians from floods and wildfires.

It’s not an isolated incident. Oil and gas interests – eager to strengthen ties with the U.S. – are “behaving like a Trojan horse for Donald Trump’s pro-fossil, anti-climate politics.”

No matter how much we build Canada if we do not address the fundamental forces of inequality and environmental deregulation that have led the U.S. on the path towards oligarchy we will simply hand over Canada to U.S. oligarchy the slow way. If we do not call out leaders when they are being sent in bad directions then we have already lost.

No matter who you support, remember: hope does not come from leaders, it comes from YOU. You’re NOT alone: contrary to what you have heard people do still care about climate change. So give your MP a call and tell them you want a renewable way forward and that the Prime Minister has to stop listening to big oil, gas, and tech. And check out our podcast with tips on how to talk with others about climate change during the holiday season.

Also here is a podcast with practical tips on how to prevent flooding. You can get our full weekly newsletter by subscribing by email.