By J.B. Shurk
American Thinker
September 7, 2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave an interview during the G20 gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, in which he calmly diagnosed Canada's self-inflicted problems: "We've had a 'free rider' problem with Canada," he observed.
"Canada had a great military. They were right there at the forefront on the beaches of D-Day, and what the Canadian government has done to the Canadian Armed Forces, if you look at the ranks of NATO spending, they are near the very bottom, like they're cellar dwellers around with Spain in terms of their military spending to GDP." Instead of investing in its military and national security, Canada spent that money on "global warming" fantasies and welfare goodies while taking advantage of America's "free" security services.