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That’s the theme today: many Canadians are shocked and concerned by reports that the Trump administration may be considering cutting Canada out of the Five Eyes alliance, imposing border adjustments, and even referring to Canada as the '51st state.' So, what is really going on here?

Chris Meyer, a former U.S. official who, like me, has spent the past decade studying China’s global influence operations, has some interesting advice for Canadians and our elected MPs (and Liberal-leader elect Mark Carney.)

In our conversation, the concept of cognitive dissonance emerges—two competing ideas, each containing some truth, yet their contradictions breed confusion and chaos. On one side is Trump’s sledgehammer rhetoric, coupled with his tactical, transactional approach to ‘deal-making’—a style that risks inflicting lasting damage on one of the most vital modern democratic alliances: the Canada-U.S. relationship. Beyond that, it threatens to undermine the post-World War II Anglo intelligence alliance.

On the other, there’s the stark reality that Canada has deep border and port vulnerabilities to China and organized crime—issues that have long raised concerns within U.S. administrations, past and present, as I know from my reporting. And that concern is only growing as the risk of a larger war involving China, Taiwan, Russia, and Europe intensifies.

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Currently, Meyer serves as the head of the U.S. Micronesia Council and is the founder of WideFountain, a platform for in-depth geopolitical analysis.

A passionate China observer since age 16, Meyer studied East Asian Studies at George Washington University, where he wrote a thesis on the geopolitical dimensions of China’s Special Economic Zones.

His career includes:

* Five years in sales and marketing with a U.S. Fortune 500 company.

* Service in the U.S. diplomatic corps as an Asia expert at the Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

* Consulting on U.S. government projects, particularly in Micronesia.

* Founding an edtech company, patenting innovative products, and building supply chains in Taiwan and China.

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