PPF Academy: Q&A with program director Martin Loken

As the former Deputy Head of Mission (Foreign Policy & National Security), Canadian Embassy in Washington, Martin Loken worked to advance Canadian interests and major files during the first Trump presidency. He previously served as Consul General in Minneapolis and Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Foreign & Defence Policy) in the Privy Council Office.

Martin is also the program director for Managing Canada’s Interests Under Trump 2.0, Tools and Ideas for Practitioners, PPF Academy’s learning program, a PPF Academy learning program designed for policy professionals working on Canada-U.S. files.

A year into Trump’s second term, he shared his analysis of this consequential presidency, including how Canadian practitioners can best engage U.S. counterparts during a period of uncertainty and change.

1. In what ways has Trump’s second term been different from the first one? 

First, in his second term, President Trump is no longer constrained by senior officials and advisers around him whose broadly conventional approaches to foreign policy, trade and other policy areas often reined in things he tried to do in his first term. Now, he has surrounded himself with loyalists who, for the most part, implement his direction without question.

Second, Trump himself, and the MAGA forces around him in the administration, began the second term better prepared and with a clearer plan (notably the “Project 2025” document), for pursuing their objectives. This contrasts with the first term largely because the Trump camp was not very well prepared for victory in the 2016 election.

Third, Congress and the Supreme Court, the co-equal branches — along with the Executive Branch — of the U.S. political system as set out in the Constitution, have to date provided comparatively little push-back to the excesses of the current Trump administration.

2. In his speech in Davos, Prime Minister Mark Carney said there has been a rupture with the previous world order and indirectly criticized the United States when he spoke of “great powers” that use economic levers to coerce other countries. How might the implications of the speech trickle down to Canadian public servants who are working directly with American counterparts? 

It’s always important for the public service to understand and align with significant PM speeches, like to one at Davos. That said, I think it’s useful to tune out much of the noise we’re hearing from south of the border in reaction to the speech.

We absolutely must continue to expand our relationships with other countries around the world, to diversify our exports and build coalitions around various issues. At the same time, there’s simply no escape from the need to have effective relations with the U.S. given the sheer scale of our geographic and economic connections. We can do this while staying clear-eyed about the risks the current U.S. administration pose to us. During the March 24 edition of Managing Canada’s Interests Under Trump 2.0, participants will hear from experts who are engaging U.S. counterparts daily — in both government and the private sector — on their experiences, including what works and what doesn’t.

3. Despite all the change and turmoil, what approaches might still bear fruit for policy and program practitioners working on Canada-U.S. files?  

There is change and turmoil, to be sure, in our current relationship with the U.S. And all this is playing out in the context of broader changes globally that the prime minister described so well at Davos. Canadians have reason to be worried, but we can’t let ourselves be paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. In this course, we’ll provide practical tips to help participants filter the signal from the noise, to understand the forces shaping U.S. politics and society, and to gain knowledge of Canada’s tools for engaging our friends and other players in the highly complex U.S. system on issues that matter to Canada.

It’s important to bear in mind that the U.S. is not a monolith. There continue to be important partners for Canada on “both sides of the aisle,” at various levels of government, and indeed right across the strong and vibrant web of cross-border connections in business, culture, academia and beyond that have been built up over decades.

There isn’t anything inherently politically partisan about these deep cross-border ties and the mutual benefits that flow from the close economic and security partnership between our countries. It’s important that we continue to engage and cultivate a broad range of U.S. allies as we make the case for Canada, at the same time as we work through official channels.

Interested in learning more? Reserve your spot for Managing Canada’s Interests Under Trump 2.0, Tools and Ideas for Practitioners, in Ottawa on March 24, 2026.