Midweek podcast: Waiting for President Trump

Washington, D.C., is gearing up for a historic day. On Friday, Donald Trump will become America's 45th president.

The federal government has been gearing up for weeks for the new U.S. administration, because the impact of a new president could quickly be felt north of the 49th parallel. 

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• Inauguration sets tone for presidency — but doesn't always go as planned

Early during his confirmation hearing for secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross was asked about his views on trade with Canada and Mexico.

"NAFTA is logically the first thing for us to deal with," Ross said. "We ought to solidify relationships in the best way we can in our own territory before we go off to other jurisdictions," Ross said, referring to China, a frequent target of Trump's ire for allegedly unfair trade practices.

Scotty Greenwood from the Canadian-American Business Council told The House the amount of uncertainty surrounding the beginning of the Trump presidency is almost unprecedented. 

"Because it's Donald J.Trump. Everything is different," she told host Chris Hall.

"This is someone who campaigned against the party for which he was seeking the nomination. Everything he did was against conventional wisdom. He didn't listen to political advisors, he went with his gut and it got him here. He's going to dance with the one who brought him… Washington is inside out."

On Wednesday, Ross told Congress that U.S. trading partners who play by the rules should have nothing to fear from a Trump administration, as on the whole, the U.S. is in favour of more global trade — not less.

"I am not anti-trade, I am pro trade," Ross said. "But I'm pro-sensible trade."

And Greenwood argues that sort of vision may help Canada.

"Once they see how important trade is…. I think they'll begin to think about, 'OK, we need to treat Canada differently."

Paul Frazer, President of PDFrazer associates and a former official at the Canadian embassy in D.C., agrees that there may actually be some common ground between the incoming president and Justin Trudeau.

"If you look at what brought both [Trudeau and Trump] to power, they have a lot in common in that regard," he told host Chris Hall.

"I know it's a mantra from years ago in Canada but jobs, jobs, jobs is actually a serious reference point. That is, I think, very much at the heart when the president-elect has talked about incoming equality, when he's talked about jobs themselves, economic redevelopment in regions — this is very much in-sync with the prime minister's efforts and proposals to assist the middle class infrastructure. In fact that could be a very creative area, barring a buy-America issue here in the United States on infrastructure matters."

But Laura Dawson, Director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center, still has some concerns.

"We have to watch out for collateral damage, for unintended consequences, even though Canada is not the target," she told The House.