Jamil Jivani's Washington trip garners mixed reaction
· Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — The decision by a Toronto-area MP to embark on his trip to the Donald Trump White House garnered mixed reactions.
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Aiming to strip partisanism from vital Canada-U.S. trade talks, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani announced on Tuesday that he was heading to the U.S. capitol.
“I want to help Prime Minister Mark Carney be successful in negotiating a trade deal with the United States,” the Bowmanville-Oshawa North MP said in a Feb. 3 video posted to his social media accounts.
“That might sound unintuitive as I’m a principled Conservative and he is our Liberal prime minister, but the reality is that this is not a partisan issue.”
On my way to Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/BRUDTpFMs0
— Jamil Jivani (@jamiljivani) February 3, 2026
Cross-border trade shouldn’t be political: Jivani
Canada-U.S. trade is so important to our economy, Jivani continued, that it should transcend ideological and party lines — specifically mentioning the turmoil and heartbreaking recent layoffs at the Oshawa GM plant have wreaked in his riding.
“Conservatives and Liberals don’t need to fight over this at all, in fact we need to work together,” he said.
“The leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, has said as much.”
Jivani, a long-time friend of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, is well-positioned to provide a quasi-unofficial backchannel into the Trump White House.
Meetings with GM, auto industry took place Friday
During his trip, which included time with U.S. President Donald Trump, Jivani posted on social media that the president told him to “tell Canadians that I love them.”
On Friday, Jivani said he had “positive” conversations about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement with GM, the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Automotive Policy Council.
His last stop before heading home, he said, is a visit to the United States Trade Representative.
Economic uncertainty and job losses are creating tough times for many in Oshawa, Clarington and across Canada. Today, I had positive conversations about CUSMA with GM, National Association of Manufacturers and American Automotive Policy Council. Last stop before going home: USTR.
— Jamil Jivani (@jamiljivani) February 6, 2026
Jivani says he reached out to the Liberals prior to his trip, but claims he was snubbed.
When asked Wednesday in West Block about Jivani’s meetings, the PM told reporters government officials did brief Jivani.
“We have extensive contacts with the U.S. administration, constant contacts with the U.S. administration,” he said.
“(Canada-U.S. Trade) Minister (Dominic) LeBlanc gave a briefing to Mr. Jivani, who I don’t believe is the trade critic for the opposition, certainly not the minister of international trade, nor the prime minister.”
Jivani said later he eventually had an email exchange with LeBlanc, but despite his best efforts has yet to secure even a phone call with the minister.
Among those criticizing Jivani for his trip was Industry Minister Melanie Joly, who said on her way into a Wednesday caucus meeting that she hasn’t heard the Oshawa MP criticize GM.
“He represents people working at GM in his riding, I haven’t heard (him) once, not only denouncing what GM is doing, but also promoting the interests of the workers at GM facing unjustified and unjustifiable tariffs by the American administration,” she said.
“He should be talking much more about it.”
Jivani had said meeting with GM was part of his trip.
When asked during a Thursday appearance on CTV’s Power Play if Jivani could be of any help to the government, Joly shrugged.
“I’m not in his heart or in his mind, I’m just looking at what he says and what are the facts,” she said, incorrectly claiming that Jivani didn’t start talking about GM’s layoffs until she called him out on it.
“And now he’s talking about it, so I think basically it talks for itself.”