Americans staunchly defended Canada at a Town Hall in Spokane, Washington, just beyond the B.C. border earlier this week.
Republican Michael Baumgartner, who serves as a representative for Washington, was one of the main speakers at the Town Hall, so it was a chance for residents to speak their piece about the state of things under the Republican Party’s control.
One attendee said, “I’ve never been involved in politics before, but this is getting really scary.”
“The things that frighten me is the way this insane president talks about Canada as the 51st state,” she stated, among other issues she sees with Donald Trump.
The camera panned to a visibly stunned Baumgartner, who raised the microphone to speak before being interrupted by a loud cheer as another attendee proudly stood with a Canadian flag.
Americans defend Canadians and wave flag at town hall in Spokane, Washington
byu/mahyarsaeedi inbritishcolumbia
The event caught the British Columbia subreddit by storm, nearing 70,000 upvotes and thousands of comments applauding the Americans who stood up for Canada. One attendee chimed in on the subreddit.
“I was in that room. The emotion regarding this topic is palpable in Spokane. That room was full of conservatives and liberals. The feelings of support for Canada were unanimous. Trump doesn’t have the support of the country on this. Even less so in Spokane where we have a rich, shared history and culture with interior B.C.”
Someone in the Spokane subreddit said, “Spokane is NOT a left-leaning area, so it’s especially encouraging to hear this woman and the crowd’s response.”
We connected with an American resident who sometimes travels to B.C. and attended the conference, and they shed some light on the energy in the room and the situation in the States.
The attendee, a middle-aged healthcare worker in the States who has worked overseas in places like the Middle, Africa and Asia, said they’re “very familiar with what happens in populations without a safety net.”
“I was motivated to attend the town hall because I see frightening similarities between the current administration and historical and current authoritarian regimes,” they told Daily Hive.
Before seeing what transpired, they were worried that the Town Hall would be filled with Trump supporters.
“Fortunately, I was wrong about that!”
They called the tension between the U.S. and Canada “manufactured” and suggested that this game plan was laid out in Project 2025.
“The town hall was a heartening display of unified resistance. I’m sure my political beliefs are different than many people in that auditorium, but almost all of us shared the common goal of letting our representative know that we will hold our government accountable for its actions. When Representative Baumgartner failed to take a stand against the imperial aspirations of the Trump regime, the crowd erupted in indignation.”
The attendee was “delighted” to see the Canadian flag lifted.
“I’m not sure who carries a Canadian flag with them just in case it’s needed, but we’re glad they came prepared.”
We’ve seen heightened concerns about cross-border travel since the tensions between the USA and Canada began, something this American is also worried about.
“Personally, I love our dear neighbours to the north. Next week, I’m hoping to spend a few days skiing in B.C. (assuming your border will still allow us crazy Americans to cross!).”
In a separate post on the Spokane subreddit, someone said, “Thank you from a Canadian who lived in Washington for three years and is now back in Vancouver. Your state will always hold a special place in my heart.”