Someone needs to hold this government to account for coddling China while letting the military languish, and it won't be Kamala Harris

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, the former is often thought to be the better pick for Canada. If that’s the case, that’s a problem of our own making.

Harris is the likely Democratic candidate for November’s United States election now that President Joe Biden has announced on his X account that he will not be running for another term. He endorsed Harris, his vice-president, instead; her candidacy isn’t set in stone, but she’s the likely contender.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

From the Canadian perspective, it’s easy to see a Harris presidency as the better outcome.

Relative to Trump and running mate J.D. Vance, whose “America first” mindset is well-known, Harris is more of an establishment Democrat who sees the United States’ role as one of an ally. She hasn’t made loud complaints about lagging allies or grand pronouncements about making freeloaders pay their “fair share.” She rejects Trump’s characterization of her country as a once-strong, much-exploited hegemon. In the most shallow sense, she does seem to be the better candidate for Canada.

On defence, for example, Harris had said Trump’s hard line on NATO is “appalling and unhinged.” Trump’s own position is that the U.S. should not defend any country that isn’t contributing the agreed-upon two per cent of GDP toward military endeavours. As one of NATO’s eight........

© National Post