Trump calls potential move 'hostile act,' says Canada has 'no chance' of joining EU; doubles down on Iran deal hopes and Kennedy Center funding
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![Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday (local time). [AP]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/17/rcv.YNA.20260917.PAP20260917131501009_P1.jpg)
Donald Trump warned Wednesday (local time) that he could impose additional tariffs on Europe if the EU moves forward with a proposal to admit Canada as its first-ever associate member, calling such a move a potential "hostile act."
Trump made the remarks to reporters in North Carolina, where he had traveled for a regional event. Asked about the possibility of Canada joining the EU as an associate member, he said he did not think it would happen.
"If they do that, and I consider it a hostile act, I will put very high tariffs on Europe, or for some products I will stop trading altogether," he warned.
Trump doubled down, adding: "If it's done in good faith, that's OK, but if it's done with bad intentions, we will put very high tariffs on Europe — that's very possible."
Trump dismissed the prospect of Canada gaining associate membership in the EU as "ridiculous" and took aim at Canada itself, calling it "a terrible trading partner" amid ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.
On the war with Iran, Trump said he hoped the conflict was nearing its end. "They want a deal, and we'll see what happens," he said.
He doubled down, saying Iran "very strongly" wants a deal.
Meanwhile, Trump said the Kennedy Center — Washington's premier performance venue — would need "massive subsidies going forward" to carry out renovations amid its financial difficulties, and insisted his administration should receive credit for driving the effort.
The Kennedy Center's board of directors had sought to inscribe Trump's name on the building's exterior, but a court blocked the move. The board then pursued an alternative plan in August to mark Trump's contributions to the center's restoration and remodeling on the exterior wall.
When a court rejected that plan as well, the board voted to close the center, citing financial difficulties and aging facilities.
The board, composed largely of Trump appointees, has argued that Trump is unlikely to provide financial support for the remodeling unless his contributions to the center are properly recognized.
mokiya@heraldcorp.com
