NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is ramping up his fight against Tesla and President Donald Trump, warning that Canada will retaliate if Trump’s trade war threatens Canadian jobs.
Speaking on CNN, Singh took direct aim at Elon Musk and Tesla, saying he would hit back with a 100% tariff on Tesla products and even cut off Musk’s supply of critical minerals needed for the company’s electric vehicle batteries, reports Tesla North.
“If you’re buying, buy Canadian. Support Canadian auto workers. Support Canadian auto jobs,” Singh said, pushing his plan to reinstate the federal electric vehicle rebate—but only for Canadian-made cars. His plan would bring back the $5,000 rebate that was scrapped by the Liberals in early 2025 (it ran out of money), doubling it to $10,000 for EVs built in Canada.
Singh didn’t hold back when discussing Musk’s influence on Trump’s policies.
“What I would do is put in place a 100% tariff on Tesla, directly targeting Elon Musk,” Singh said. “Because Elon Musk is probably touting this idea of the 51st state, so let’s hit back at Elon Musk.”
Beyond tariffs, Singh said he would block Tesla’s access to key Canadian resources, including the critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries. “We’ve got tools, and we should be ready to use them,” Singh added.
Singh positioned his stance as a direct response to Trump’s economic threats, making it clear that Canada won’t sit back if the U.S. imposes new tariffs.
“It’s not something that we wanted to do, but if Donald Trump wants to bring this fight, know that we are ready. I’m putting Donald Trump on notice,” Singh said.
Singh continues to back Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government but has promised to bring down the Liberals with a non-confidence motion at the next opportunity. However, critics point out that Singh has often shifted positions many times in the past.
With the NDP’s “Build Canadian, Buy Canadian” plan, Singh says he will protect Canadian jobs and industries by blocking U.S. companies from federal contracts whenever American tariffs hit Canadian goods.
His tough stance on Tesla and Musk could appeal to Canadians worried about job losses—but it also risks raising the price of EVs for consumers. The NDP supports the environment and green economy, but now it wants to essentially make the price of the most popular EVs more expensive.
Check out Singh going full nuclear on Tesla, Musk and Trump on CNN below:
🤡 ‘I'm putting Donald Trump ON NOTICE!’ – Canadian MP
💬 “We just announced today what I would do is put in place a 100% tariff on Tesla, directly targeting Elon Musk,” Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party in the Canadian Parliament, told CNN. pic.twitter.com/8H8259WQkC
— AI Day Trading (@ai_daytrading) February 11, 2025
Yesterday, the NDP blasted Bell’s recent decision to offer 1,200 employees buyouts, as part of the telecom’s plan to downsize jobs.
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Still shocking someone willingly throws away 60-100k on build quality that is beaten by a Nissan Versa.
Tesla hasn't been the only EV game in town for a while and they're only falling further behind on fit and finish by manufacturers who actually know what the f**k they're doing, who have been making automotive transportation for decades if not a century.
Not too many months ago, the Canadian government – supposedly to 'protect' an EV-building industry that does not exist here in any visible metric (but mostly to appease the US), threw a 100% tariff on Chinese-built vehicles. Oddly, did not include the thousands of Teslas imported from China. But I digress.
Meanwhile, there are companies like BYD selling internationally and who have models – even with 100% tariff – that are cheaper than any North American-built (note I did not say Canadian) vehicle, while there are commuter / city EVs from Europe the government seems dead keen on keeping out. Again, protecting an industry that isn't here, while still trying to convince us not to solo drive our gas F-150s as downtown commuters.
Singh is assumed to lose his seat in the next election, because who in their right mind would vote for this person. He could have brought down the government all last year and today we would have a government who could actually negotiate with the US. We all know that Trump dismisses Justin as a leader, so this is all on Singh's shoulders. He has caused this problem, he should resign and go away quietly.
The last thing we need is to give away more tax dollars for EV rebates. I support NDP policies like Pharmacare and dental care, but this is stupid. NDP needs a new leader – Jagmeet is grasping at straws.
No don’t cut them off, add a 500% export tax instead. And only market pricing, the US do not deserve sweetheart deals.