Trump makes jokes about Canada’s wildfire smoke and tariffs on lettuce from Mexico. – On Friday, July 24, President Donald Trump joked that he might have to put tariffs on Canada for “the smoke” and Mexico for “the lettuce,” alluding to two problems that have recently impacted millions of Americans: a spreading outbreak of foodborne disease and smoke from wildfires moving south from Canada.
When Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy questioned when it would be “safe to eat lettuce again,” the comments were made at an Oval Office press conference.
Because of the lettuce, I believe we will impose a significant duty on Mexico. And because of the smoke, we’ll impose a significant penalty on Canada,” Trump declared.
The president’s remarks coincide with an investigation by federal health officials into a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has infected thousands of people nationally, while smoke from wildfires in Canada has regularly caused air quality alerts in various parts of the United States.
“I’ve informed Canada that they need to take action. This has never been an issue for us. We now have this issue with Canada,” Trump continued.
In recent years, smoke from wildfires in Canada has occasionally impacted the quality of the air in the United States. Over 9 million acres of Canadian forest burnt in 2023, putting nearly 75 million people in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast under air quality alerts.
Poor lettuce and smoke from wildfires
There have been 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of the illness since May 1, according to a CDC outbreak update published on Friday, July 24. According to the CDC, there are still 7,400 unconfirmed cases, many of which are in Ohio and Michigan.
In this most recent CDC update, the number of states reporting cases increased to 41, but not all of those cases might be related to continuing outbreaks.
All but four states have recorded cases of the infection brought on by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora, which is known to cause severe diarrhea.
In addition to the current cyclosporiasis outbreak, smoke from Canadian wildfires has caused the skies in some areas of the United States to become black and turn orange.
On July 15, Toronto had the worst air quality in the world due to smoke from uncontrolled wildfires. IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology business, named New York City as the fifth worst city in the United States.
About the Author
