One Year of Trump's Second Term: What Does He Want From Canada?

What does Trump want from Canada? Jessica Murphy BBC News, Toronto Aimilio from Montreal asks: As a Canadian my biggest concern about Trump, is he willing to use the military to force Canada to join the US? And Maite from Paris asks: Can Trump really find a way to acquire Canada? There’s no question many Canadians felt anxious when Trump began referring to Canada as the "51st State" - a comment that he has not made in recent months. But his comments on Greenland, and the US seizure of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, have again caused consternation. The recent national security strategy released by the White House, which states the US aims to "restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere" hasn’t helped calm nerves. Still, Trump has not suggested he would use military force against Canada, a close security partner and Nato alliance member - the president himself said a year ago he’d use "economic force" to exact pressure on his northern neighbour. Trump has imposed a series of tariffs on Canada, though a vast majority of goods are exempt from levies under the current US-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement. That deal comes under review later this year, and negotiations are expected to be tense. In the meantime, Carney has been logging airmiles looking to drum up business investments in Canada from other countries. The US has also pressed Canada to boost its defence spending, which it has, adding C$81.8bn over the next five years to the budget. It also added security to the the shared border at the president’s request. It’s also likely that Canada may be asked by the US to do more to secure the Arctic. What's happening with Trump and the Federal Reserve? Natalie Sherman New York business reporter Jack from Texas asks: Does the Trump-Powell tension reveal a deeper vulnerability in the Federal Reserve's independence, and how resilient are US institutions if a president openly pressures monetary policy for political gain? Many of the experts I have asked about this are betting it would be hard for Trump to impose his will on Fed policy, since interest rates are set by a 12-person committee. Those members have long, staggered terms and are not all appointed by the president. But the Fed's reputation for independence rests a lot on norms and the willingness of presidents, since Ronald Reagan, to adopt a largely hands-off approach. When it comes to formal legal protections, the US actually does not rank particularly well, when compared globally. And the White House has obviously put legal pressure on some of those members. So a lot will be riding on how the Supreme Court resolves the question of whether Trump's move to fire board member Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud was within bounds. The justices will hear arguments in that case this week! America First: From expected isolationist to enthusiastic interventionist Sarah Smith North America editor When Donald Trump promised voters that, as president, he would put "America First", many assumed he meant that he would avoid getting embroiled in overseas adventures. We thought an "America First" foreign policy meant US isolationism. What we have learned over the last 12 months is that President Trump is anything but an isolationist. He is instead an enthusiastic interventionist. No one knows this better than former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was swiftly deposed and imprisoned by a dramatic US military intervention earlier this month. Donald Trump may not - yet - have made good on his promise to help protesters in Iran, but he did launch a devastating bombing strike on Iran's nuclear facilities last June. And whilst his claims to have ended more than eight wars could be considered exaggerated, his administration did broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. President Trump is now making clear to his Nato allies that he is serious about his ambition to take over Greenland, insisting that it is essential for American national security that he controls the arctic territory. A few days ago I asked him why it is so important to him to own Greenland. He told me: "When you own it you defend it. You don't defend leases the same way. You have to own it." President Trump has called this approach the "Donroe Doctrine". It's an adaptation of the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, with which Trump asserts the right of the United States to dominate the region he considers to America's backyard and interfere where he believes it is necessary. The national security strategy published at the end of last year stated that the US will "restore American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere" and "protect our homeland and access to key geographies throughout the region". This is a worldview in which "might makes right” and America can do what likes on the world stage without claiming it is acting out of principle. Simple self interest is what governs Donald Trump's actions and he makes no pretence about that. As he said in his inaugural address one year ago: "nothing will stand in our way, because we are Americans". The BBC answers your questions after one year of Trump 2.0 Sakshi Venkatraman US reporter We are now officially one year into Donald Trump's second term as US president. A lot has happened over the last 12 months, and a lot more could still be ahead. From tariffs to the federal government shutdown to the White House’s new makeover, Trump has already left his mark on the US and the world. He sat in the highest political seat in the nation as the Epstein files were released, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated and the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was arrested by the US. This page will look back on some of the most significant things that have occurred since the 47th president came back to the White House, and we'll be answering some of your questions on Trump's actions and what they all mean - so stick with us.