In short
A press exchange at the Indo-Pacific Defense Conference in Canada where U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Admiral Samuel Paparo rejects hypothetical orders from Donald Trump to invade Canada, followed by criticism that U.S. officials mock Canada and threaten defense leverage.
Guests
Admiral Samuel Paparo, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander (senior U.S. military leader). General Karen Young, head of the Canadian military (describes Canada’s defense industrial strategy). Also quoted/mentioned: U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra; Canadian PM Justin Trudeau; Canadian PM? (transcript says “Prime Minister Carney,” likely Carney/Carney-like figure); Canadian Liberal strategist Amanda Alvaro; Sharelle Evelyn; George Clooney; Charlie Angus.
Key claims
Paparo says the scenario is “preposterous,” Canada is a close ally, and the U.S. has no demand that Canada buy U.S. equipment—only interoperability. Critics argue U.S. rhetoric is belittling and includes threats (e.g., NORAD withdrawal, “kill switches,” intimidation flyovers). Young says Canada uses a “partner and buy” approach to build sovereign capabilities and acquire from like-minded partners (e.g., Sweden’s Gripen).
Notable examples
mocking Canadian cadets; memes about cadets; “Lake America” map renaming; Trump calling Canada “the toughest” to deal with; Trump claims Canada “dumps fentanyl” and “killing the United States.”
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOAdmiral Paparo's Response to Trump
0:29 to 3:05
Discuss Admiral Paparo's reaction to a hypothetical question about invading Canada.
“The top United States military commander in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Samuel Paparo, was asked a critical question moments ago by the press during the Indo-Pacific Defense Conference in Canada.”
Contrasting Views on Military Alliances
3:05 to 5:28
Explore the differences between Admiral Paparo's views and Trump's rhetoric regarding Canada.
“That's up to the sovereign decision-making of Canada.”
Critical Analysis of Military Relationships
5:28 to 9:03
Analyze the implications of military relationships and political discourse between the US and Canada.
“He's like, you know, in these military alliances between the United States and Canada and similar Western alliances and alliances that throughout the world, you know, we pride ourselves on our apolitical nature.”
Canada's Defense Industrial Strategy
9:20 to 14:01
Examine Canada's approach to military procurement and the impact of US political rhetoric.
“You know, and then you have, you know, the head of the Canadian military, and she's like, she's asked a question about Canada's approach to buying military weapons and buying military equipment.”
Critique of Military Mockery
14:01 to 14:52
Discussion on the inappropriate mocking of youth cadets by military officials.
“I mean, you have the secretary of defense of the most powerful military in the world using his enormous platform to mock and bully youth cadets, young women in the cadet program.”
The Cruelty is the Point
14:53 to 16:44
Examination of the intentional cruelty in political rhetoric and its implications.
“He doesn't, he didn't care who these people were.”
Concerns Over Escalation
16:44 to 17:40
Concerns expressed regarding the lack of checks and balances in the U.S. administration.
“And you're going, what's wrong with you?”
Prime Minister Carney's Response
17:40 to 18:42
Canadian Prime Minister's comments on U.S. officials and military relations.
“He was asked about American officials mocking Canada's military, its cadets and posting memes.”
Calls for Serious Dialogue
18:42 to 19:30
Discussion on the need for constructive dialogue between Canada and the U.S.
“Which respects our right to protect and promote the Quebec culture and the French language.”
Transcript
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0:29Ben Meiselas:The top United States military commander in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Samuel Paparo, was asked a critical question moments ago by the press during the Indo-Pacific Defense Conference in Canada. He was there in British Columbia with his counterpart, the leader of the Canadian military. And he was asked a critical question. How would you respond if Donald Trump gave you the order to invade Canada? What would you do if Donald Trump called you up and said you need to launch military strikes against Canada? And Admiral Paparo kind of laughed the question off. He was like, that is a preposterous premise.
1:12Ben Meiselas:It would be like asking, what would I do if Martians came down from outer space? But the member of the press continued to ask, hey, that's what Donald Trump is saying though. And don't you think it's belittling to the Canadian people that you're just laughing this off when Donald Trump talks about annexation on a daily basis? I want you to watch the response right here from Admiral Samuel Paparo, the United States Indo-Pacific commander. Here, play this clip. I'm familiar with your story period. So this is a question that is asked about what circumstances would you obey or to launch military action against that um i i'm yeah i i find that i find that scenario to be uh absolutely and utterly preposterous uh and so uh i follow the i follow the orders of the commander-in-chief but uh that is a needlessly emotional question i i don't find forgive my forgive my saying it too is that uh is that uh uh canada is a close ally i'm sorry i didn't mean to be insulted but No, no, but you didn't answer the question.
2:38I'm sorry? You didn't answer the question. I said I follow the orders of the president and I find it to be a... Would you ask me please also what my attack plans are for the Martians?
2:51You want to dismiss it by all means. Yes, sir. I don't dismiss you, but I do dismiss the question. I'm sorry? You belittle it. I don't think that's the right approach at all. this is a serious question about a serious issue you had threats of idolization i know it's not i know it's hypothetical but nonetheless if you've not thought about it thank you
3:10Ben Meiselas:now he then goes on to talk about how the united states is okay with canada procuring weapons from other sources other than the united states and he says that from his vantage point, Canada as a sovereign nation should be free to pursue its own military strategies with the United States or on its own. That's up to the sovereign decision-making of Canada. Well, Admiral Paparo, that's very different than what Donald Trump says on a daily basis. And what Pete Hoekstra, the ambassador to Canada from the United States says, that despicable vile thing, what they're saying on a daily basis, they've threatened to pull out of NORAD if Canada does not buy American military weapons.
4:02Ben Meiselas:They've threatened that they will launch their own military flyovers at Canada to intimidate people if Canada does not buy from the United States. The United States Trump regime has also threatened to put kill switches in future weapons sold to Canada. So I know you're saying these words, but you do realize that your words are in stark contrast to what the commander in chief said for me to call him that is saying here in the United States. Listen to what Paparo says. Play this clip. We're operating together now and today. And so Canada's sovereign decisions on its own defense industrial base is a sovereign matter between two respected allies together with a very long history together.
4:50And my viewpoint is that so long as we remain interoperable within the alliance, you know, if the overall defense industrial base that supports Canada's defense needs confers to a stronger Canada and a stronger U.S.-Canada alliance, it's to the good. And so there's no demand on the United States part that Canada procures U.S. equipment. There's just a need, a dire need, that we be interoperable. And General Karen Young, I think, very well understands that. And I think we're very committed to that.
5:27Ben Meiselas:Then Paparo goes on to act like everything is normal. He's like, you know, in these military alliances between the United States and Canada and similar Western alliances and alliances that throughout the world, you know, we pride ourselves on our apolitical nature. You pride yourself on the apolitical nature. The Secretary of Defense is posting photos of Canadian cadets who haven't even graduated high school, mocking their appearance. You have the Secretary of Defense firing top generals and admirals for launching investigations into Apache helicopters doing flyovers of Kid Rock's mansion. You have a secretary of defense refusing to promote black people and women as you stand next to a proud woman commander leading the Canadian army.
6:25Ben Meiselas:So it's nice that you're saying these words, but stop pretending things are normal because it undermines your credibility. Admiral Paparo here play this clip. Military to military relationships are such a serious foundation. They're executed without emotion. They're executed on the facts, the facts on the ground of our requirement to defend our spaces together. And so, you know, these are foundations and militaries are designed to remain apolitical and ruthlessly focused on the facts of the geography and of the capability and of the long term interests of the country. And so while you do see, while, you know, you do see political discussions take place for military professionals, we're always sort of ruthlessly focused on the mission ahead.
7:27And this professional ethos of apolitical military is really so common throughout the Indo-Pacific and throughout the world. And, you know, that's how we deal with the, you know, ups and downs of political discourse is with solid, mill-to-mill, apolitical, technically focused, day-to-day alliance issues that we work together. Most people assume GLP-1s cost a fortune, and that assumption keeps them from even looking into the treatment. But the reality is GLP-1 medications may be more affordable and accessible than people realize. Rho helps people find more affordable path to FDA-approved GLP-1 treatment, whether that's through insurance coverage or cash pay options.
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9:22Ben Meiselas:You know, and then you have, you know, the head of the Canadian military, and she's like, she's asked a question about Canada's approach to buying military weapons and buying military equipment. And she says it in a very graceful diplomatic way. She's like, The goal is to buy more. Canada used to buy all of its weapons. It wouldn't even be a question that Canada would buy weapons from the United States. And now they're looking to Sweden with the Gripen. They're looking to the global eye rather than the E3s and the subsequent models of the AWACS over here. Why? Because of the constant barrage of threats by the Trump regime.
10:09Ben Meiselas:When you say you're going to make something the 51st state and it comes from the commander in chief who then posts a series of videos of himself kicking the sign from Lake Ontario over and treating Canada with other disrespect and using the language of war. How do you think Canada is going to interpret it? It really actually pissed me off that Admiral Paparo treated the reporter that way. Oh, well, what a ridiculous. Really? It's a ridiculous question. Your commander, sadly, the commander in chief is behaving like a lunatic and he's saying these horrible, horrific things. So, yeah, the people of Canada have gone elbows up and they're taking it seriously.
10:48Ben Meiselas:Listen to what the leader of the Canadian military says. Play this clip. So we are going by our defense industrial strategy. It's a by partner build strategy. And it's founded on developing a strong and solid defense industrial base in Canada. This is incredibly important for a military to have a strong ecosystem around our forces. So there are 10 sovereign capabilities that we want to build in Canada. And of course, the partner and the buy, we can't make everything. We will need to acquire various capabilities through various like-minded partners and allies as well. So it's a mix of everything.
11:41And we are going by, again, meeting a specific military requirement because we need these capabilities to respond to what we need this to do militarily.
11:54Ben Meiselas:And what has Donald Trump been doing? More posts attacking Canada today. Apple Maps has just announced that it has changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. So now that very important change of names between Google Maps and Apple Maps is complete ratified and binding. Thank you for your attention to this matter. He called up the new CEO of Apple, threatened, shook down the new CEO of Apple. Shame on him. And he changed the maps. He changed the Apple Maps. He shook down the head of Google, they changed the maps as well. And then Donald Trump posting, Christian leaders urge Trump to create legal pathway for Jewish Canadians facing anti-Semitism.
12:35Ben Meiselas:Christian leaders are, what are you even talking about? I mean, you do realize Admiral Paparo that Donald Trump has said that Canada is dumping its fentanyl into the United States, that Canada is killing the United States. Trump uses the same language about Canada that Putin uses about Ukraine before he invaded Ukraine. Like you do realize that. He said it today. Here's what Trump said today. Here, play this clip. And I did change the name of a certain lake to Lake America, just like I changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. And people in this country love it. You know, we have 92 % of the frontage.
13:19And why was it Gulf of Mexico? We have most of the frontage, almost all, 93, 94%.
13:25Ben Meiselas:And here's what Trump also said today. Play this clip. Like I have China coming here. A lot of people say, who's the toughest one to deal with? Is it China, sir? Is it China? Is it Vietnam? I said, no, actually, it's Canada. Canada has felt emboldened. They had presidents that didn't know what was happening. Not only the last one, all of them. I mean, they just were taken to do. Our country's been taken advantage of by Canada. Because I'll tell you how they're talking about it on Canadian media right here. Amanda Alvaro, who is a strategist for the Liberal Party, she was on CBC. Here's what she said.
14:01Well, it's it's pathetic, frankly. I mean, you have the secretary of defense of the most powerful military in the world using his enormous platform to mock and bully youth cadets, young women in the cadet program. Like this is not some random internet troll. This is a serious pattern with US administration, with the White House, with their allies. We're supposed to be their allies and to have no recognition for this alliance that's been built over decades and decades and use every opportunity to mock and ridicule. I mean, it is, it is actually beyond pale. It's just, it's unfathomable that this is actually happening.
14:43It still blows my mind and yet it happens daily.
14:47Ben Meiselas:Sharelle Evelyn said the following about Hexit that cruelty is the point. Here, play this clip. I mean, well, the cruelty is the point. He doesn't, he didn't care who these people were. He didn't care that they're, you know, teenagers and care that the cadets. This is somebody who quotes fake Bible verses from Pulp Fiction and calls it, you know, arousing speech. This is somebody who, you know, for as much as they like to vaunt the idea of merit in their own armed forces, you know, suddenly if someone's skin color isn't white, their accomplishments don't matter. So it's no real surprise that, of course, these are people who are going to, you know, poke at anybody who they view as outside of their own personal worldview of what matters and who matters and who is worthy of respect.
15:36And if we're talking about the fact that, you know, they're playing to this audience that they have, who are, you know, they might be like, oh, this isn't what we voted for. I mean, well, it was, you just didn't think that this was going to be that they weren't going to turn on you specifically. You didn't think they would turn on people who look like you or people who support the military or people who did this, that. And when it comes to the online sphere, the fact is like, yes, he has a VTAC set. He has a massive following. And where did he get the information from? From Canadians who also has a massive following who want to be noticed by those Americans with that massive following.
16:15So they are going to turn on their own countrymen to grift because that's, they see that is the path towards success because in the United States, that is proven. You can get all the way to the White House.
16:25Ben Meiselas:And you've got George Clooney over in Venice saying the following also about what Hegseth did. Let's play this clip. The idea that cruelty is the base, that being cruel and unkind is part of the fun of all of this. You see what the Secretary of Defense just tweeted out a picture about women in the military in Canada. And you're going, what's wrong with you? Where's the sense of decency in all of this? And I'm ashamed of all of that. Finally, you've got Charlie Angus from Midas Canada. Make sure you all subscribe to Midas Canada. Here's what Angus had to say earlier today. Play this clip. I think part of the problem is, is that they don't have, they don't have the checks and balances.
17:09They don't have the people in the Pentagon or the White House who would be able to pull them back from the brink. So this is why I worry that we could they could they could stumble even further in escalation because there's no one around Trump to say this is a really dumb idea Mr. President why are we doing this when we've got so many other issues and the midterms are coming what does it mean when we're watching a nation like an empire collapse before our eyes with this kind of you know end of days idiocy
17:40Ben Meiselas:And then you had Prime Minister Carney. He was asked about American officials mocking Canada's military, its cadets and posting memes. Here's what Carney had to say. Play this clip. American officials have been mocking Canada's military, its cadets, Trump renamed Ontario, and also some officials saying that the U.S. is not actually at war with Canada.
18:07What do you make of all this and what is your message to the U.S. right now? What needs to happen next? So our message, first off, has always been, our plan has always been standing up for Canada first and foremost here at home, building Canada at home, diversifying abroad. Everyone in the world wants to do more with Canada, and we're doing that in a way that's in the best interest of Canadian workers, Canadian families, Canadian businesses. That's first. We have a positive opportunity that has always existed with the United States for a mutually beneficial trade deal that respects Canadian sovereignty.
18:42Which respects our right to protect and promote the Quebec culture and the French language. It must have those characteristics. And when the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions.
19:07Ben Meiselas:But it's not constructive, but that's their democracy. More over here with Carney being asked about what do you make of U.S. cabinet secretaries insulting the Canadian military? Let's play this clip. Prime Minister, what do you make of U.S. Cabinet secretaries insulting the Canadian military? It's beneath their office. There you have it, everybody. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 7 million subscribers. Thanks for watching, everybody.
20:00We'll be right back.
From the publisher
MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on a stunning exchange in Canada where a top U.S. admiral dismisses the prospect of war with Canada as ridiculous after being pressed about Donald Trump's repeated rhetoric about making Canada the 51st state, and breaks down what the remarkable public response reveals.
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