'I'm going full out': Northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus on being more vocal now that he's leaving politics
Angus says retiring as an MP 'doesn't mean I'm going to be sitting on a beach somewhere.'
Despite announcing his retirement from federal politics last summer, long-time northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus has been more vocal than ever, speaking out against what he calls an "existential threat" to Canada from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threats.
Angus, who has served in Parliament for over two decades, said stepping away from elected office has given him the freedom to focus on broader political issues.
"I had a sense that there were other things that needed to be done on the political landscape," said the NDP MP for Timmins-James Bay.
"Of course, I didn't predict Donald Trump, but I'm going full out. I will continue to go full out as long as there's a fight to be had."
According to Angus, the U.S. president is using annexation threats and recently implemented 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the United States to destabilize the Canadian economy.
Trump's decisions are 'not sustainable'
He doesn't see Trump's actions as a simple trade wa,r but rather an attempt to create so much uncertainty that it will "grind Canada's economy to a halt."
"He's fighting to destroy the richest market the United States has, which is Canada. It's not sustainable," he said.
Angus said that every decision Trump makes — like insisting that snowbirds be fingerprinted — drives deeper wedges into the economic relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
Angus argues that Trump's approach isn't viable and that if Canadians "hold strong," Trump "can't keep it together."
"What Donald didn't anticipate is that Canadians are not going to give up our sovereignty, and so the more pressure he's put on us, he's actually started to tank his own economy," Angus said.
"I feel that my role right now is just to encourage people to stay strong, stay focused and stay unified because our unified nation can never be defeated by the chaos and dissension that we see in the United States."
That role has included sparring with a man he described as a pro-Putin "troll" outside the Russian embassy in Ottawa and speaking out against tariffs in numerous American TV interviews, like on CNN and circulating a petition to revoke Elon Musk's Canadian citizenship.
Advice for incoming PM
As newly elected liberal leader, Mark Carney prepares to take office, Angus stressed the importance of being ready for the challenges ahead. He warned Carney to be cautious of potential election interference from figures like Trump, Musk, and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, whom he referred to as the "evil triumvirate of anti-democratic tactics."
"I'm very concerned about efforts to destabilize our democracy," he said.
While some have urged him to return to politics, Angus remains firm in his decision to step away.
"Just because I'm not going to be sitting in the House of Commons doesn't mean I'm going to be sitting on a beach somewhere," he said.
"Nobody's ever seen Charlie Angus walk away from a struggle or a fight, and this is the fight of our lives."
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