Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, a longtime friend of U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, says he is prepared to assist the government during negotiations with the White House should the Liberals seek his help.
Jivani and Vance have been friends since 2010 when they met at Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut.
Jivani has not been vocal about his friendship with Vance since the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, but hinted during a May 1 media interview that he was willing to use his relationship with Vance to help ease tensions between Canada and the United States.
“If the opportunity came where I thought I would be able to make a positive difference, of course, I would take it,” Jivani told CBC’s Power & Politics. “If the Liberal government wants to find me, they know where I am.”
The 37-year-old Tory MP for Bowmanville-Oshawa North noted that he has previously spoken with Canadian ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman to offer insight. He said he is more than willing to put the country above politics to help, but underscored the need for the government to spearhead a bid for change in Canada’s relationship with the United States, which he described as “quite chaotic.”
“The dynamic between our two countries is just not very good right now and I wish the Liberal government well in working on that,” Jivani said. “I think that’s really what needs to change in order for anyone to be able to help. The dynamics have got to get better, and of course folks in Washington, D.C., need to make some changes in order for that dynamic to get better, too.”
‘Strong Political Disagreements’
Jivani has previously said he and Vance forged a friendship “through moments of shared discomfort” during their time at the Ivy League university where they both initially felt out of place.
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They became each other’s support system during their Yale years, and Jivani even performed a Bible reading at Vance’s wedding to Usha Chilukuri Vance, whom he also met at Yale Law, in 2014.
Jivani has also said the pair have “very strong political disagreements.”
Like other areas of Ontario, Jivani’s riding could be heavily impacted by the 25 percent tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump on auto parts.
The tax was set to go into effect May 3, but has been modified slightly to exclude Canadian-made components that comply with origin rules under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Parts that do not fall under the trade deal will see a 25 percent tariff imposed, according to a May 1 directive from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Jivani said he would do whatever he is able to make a difference in trade negotiations both for his constituents and Canada as a whole, but added that the government must take the lead.
“It’s going to be up to the Liberal Party and Prime Minister Mark Carney to lead on behalf of Canada, and I hope that they will have good policies and a good approach to look out for these families affected by tariffs,” Jivani said. “And it’s not even just the tariffs themselves. It’s also the anxiety that a lot of industries are going through because of this.”
Carney and Trump held a brief call this week where Trump congratulated the Liberal leader on his April 28 election victory. The president said afterward that he anticipates Carney will be visiting Washington soon.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the two leaders have agreed to meet in person in the “near future.” Trump has said the two will meet within a week.
Carney focused heavily on U.S. tariffs and Trump’s “51st state” comments during his election campaign, repeatedly saying that Trump “wants to break us so America can own us.” He said that the Trump presidency presents the “biggest crisis in our lifetimes.”
In his election victory speech earlier this week, Carney said America’s relationship with Canada based on the “system of open global trade” has fundamentally changed.
“When I sit down with President Trump, it will be to discuss the future economic and security relationship between the two sovereign nations,” he said. Carney has noted that Canada has “many other” trade opportunities beyond the United States.
