We've seen this movie before. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly thrown out outrageous, headline-grabbing threats designed to consume the media's attention — and ours. His latest targets? Greenland, the Panama Canal and most recently a financial annexation of Canada.
This week, I had the chance to speak with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and our conversation got me thinking. Maybe, as my colleague Rachel Maddow has repeatedly warned us, Trump is yanking our chain.
Trudeau confirmed that, yes, Trump had indeed floated the idea of making Canada America's "51st state" during their recent meeting at Mar-a-Lago. But what Trump didn't share in his comments was Trudeau's response: "Maybe there could be a trade for Vermont or California for certain parts." According to Trudeau, that suggestion "made Trump decide it was not that funny anymore, and we moved on to a different conversation."
But what really stood out from my conversation with Trudeau is that he's not focused on Trump's theatrics. Instead, he's preparing for what might actually happen. As he put it, "The focus has to be not on something that he's talking about that will not ever happen, but more on something that might well happen … like if he does choose to go forward with tariffs that raise the cost of just about everything for American citizens."
This is the thing about Trump's political playbook: It hasn't changed. His grandiose, blustery statements often serve as a distraction. In this case, Trump's expansionist rhetoric is helping mask the bigger threats — punitive tariffs, mass deportations or something else entirely — that are quietly taking shape in the background.
So, the next time you see a headline about Trump's annexation fantasies, ask yourself: What might he be hoping to distract us from? And where should we actually be looking?
Read more exclusive insights from Jen Psaki here. And tune into "Inside with Jen Psaki" Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, and Sundays at 12 p.m. ET on MSNBC.
