Trump says Canada is responsible for fentanyl (or illegal aliens) entering the U.S. Blaming Canada for fentanyl or illegal aliens entering the US is complete nonsense.
It’s not just wrong—it’s impossible.
But the fact that people actually believe it – is a real problem. It’s way too easy to take statements like this at face value instead of asking even the most basic questions about how things actually work.
How Does Border Security Actually Work?
In the simplest terms – when a truck crosses from Canada into the U.S., Canada Border Services does not check it on the way out. That’s not how border security works. Each country is responsible for inspecting what comes into its own territory.
That means if anything illegal is making it across the border into the US, it’s because U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) let it in—not because Canada “allowed” it to leave. Canada Border Services (CBSA) does not stop trucks from leaving Canada; it’s not their job. Blaming Canada is like blaming your neighbour for failing to stop someone from robbing your house.
Who is Actually Responsible?
The U.S. authorities of course. Every truck entering the U.S. goes through American border security. If drugs are getting in, they are getting past American customs officers, on American soil, under American jurisdiction. If Trump wants to know why fentanyl is still entering the U.S., maybe he should ask his own border agents?
Where Does Fentanyl Actually Come From?
Not Canada. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is clear: most fentanyl in the U.S. is smuggled from Mexico by cartels. A significant amount also comes directly from China, shipped through international mail. Canada is barely a factor.
Even if Canada had a fentanyl crisis – and we do – it still wouldn’t explain how the drug is ending up in U.S. cities. Canada’s drug problem is Canada’s drug problem—not America’s and vice versa.
So Why Do People Believe This?
Trump’s claim is so easy to debunk that we don’t see it. It’s as if we cannot believe that the president of the most powerful country on earth doesn’t know how his border security works or, worse, is blatantly lying about it.
But all it takes is one minute of critical thinking and that’s precisely what’s missing. Instead of asking obvious questions—like “How could Canada control what crosses into the U.S. if they don’t even check those trucks?”—people just take his words as fact.
More and more people are beginning to understand – this isn’t about fentanyl. It’s about distraction. It’s about deflecting responsibility and finding a scapegoat. Too many people are willing to buy whatever nonsense fits their political narrative, no matter how ridiculous it is. And it’s not good for citizens on either side of this border.
The Real Problem is Getting Caught in Sensationalism With a Lack of Critical Thinking
This is bigger than just one false claim, and it’s what will lead to our collective downfall if we’re not careful. People don’t pay attention or question what they’re told. They don’t stop to ask:
- Does this make sense? (No, it doesn’t.)
- Who is actually responsible? (The U.S., not Canada.)
- What does the evidence say? (That fentanyl comes from Mexico and China, not from truckers crossing into the US from Canada.)
If people started asking these kinds of questions, politicians wouldn’t be able to get away with this level of obvious BS. But as long as people refuse to think critically, this kind of misinformation will keep spreading.
Why is Canada Beefing up Its Borders?
Well, it doesn’t hurt to beef them up. We do have issues with drug trafficking (including a major fentanyl problem) and illegal guns coming in. It looks good to be “proactive” and if it avoids a trade war by pandering to Trump’s ego.. so be it. I don’t however, see this as actually working and I believe that media and the government need to be more straightforward about it.
We Need to Be Smarter Than This
If Canada is really “allowing” fentanyl into the U.S., then someone needs to explain how Canadian border officers, who are not responsible for inspecting vehicles going into the U.S., are in any way responsible for drugs crossing the border. You can’t because it doesn’t make sense.
What does make sense and is more likely to be true is Trump needs a scapegoat. And he is trying to weaken the Canadian spirit and economy to get at its resources. And as usual, he’s counting on people not thinking too hard about whether his claims hold up. Next time you hear something like this, take five seconds and ask, Does this actually make sense? Because if more people did that, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.