TALKING TO AMERICANS — Canadian politicians are on the hunt for any camera (video or still) that will get them in front of American audiences. With just one week left until President-elect DONALD TRUMP returns, Canadians are preoccupied with his Day One promise to slap tariffs on all Canadian products. — High stakes: Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY has been dropping hints that Trump’s tariffs are inevitable — despite Team Canada’s efforts to convince Trump the measures would hurt Americans too. “The Trump threat is there,” Joly said Friday. “It’s not in three weeks, it’s not in three years. It’s now.” — Media circuit: Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU has been trying to get the attention of Americans — while continuing to decline Canadian media requests. He spoke with JEN PSAKI on MSNBC in a pre-recorded interview that aired Sunday. It followed an interview last week with CNN. — How it happened: In a line that wasn’t intended to make Ottawa journalists’ blood boil (but probably did), Psaki said she landed the Trudeau interview Thursday — without any effort. “They [PMO] called me yesterday morning when I was on my way to drop my kids off for a school ... asked me if I could interview the prime minister of Canada. You always say yes,” Psaki told “Morning Joe.” The two are no strangers. Psaki was formerly the White House press secretary, and was a former political adviser under both the Obama and Biden administrations. — PM’s pitch: “No American wants to pay 25 percent more for electricity or oil and gas coming in from Canada,” Trudeau said. “And that's something that I think people need to pay a little more attention to. And perhaps the idea of a 51st state is distracting a little bit from a very real question that will increase the cost of living for Americans and harm a trading relationship that works extremely well.” More from the interview: — PM’s plans after office: “I'm looking forward to resting, to taking a bit of a break. It’s a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason: spending more time with my kids. The idea of being there for them as an active dad, making lunches and home when they get home from school is something that's really, really exciting to me.” — PM’s non-endorsement: “I'm not going to support anyone in the (Liberal leadership) race. I will work with whoever gets elected to make sure that we win the next election. And I'm a proud Liberal and will continue to be.” If Trudeau is trying to reach Americans and sell them on how badly tariffs would hurt their pockets, why not go to the media that helped elect Trump? Streamer ADIN ROSS, podcasters THEO VON, JOE ROGAN and Canadian-American YouTubers NELK BOYS all received a shoutout during DANA WHITE’s speech on election night. And all have a direct line to the American public. Also see: Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Fox News. As the Star’s ROBERT BENZIE reports: Ford has gone on an unprecedented American media blitz. Here’s what is behind it. And from the Globe’s JEFF GRAY: Premiers step into leadership vacuum. — Hands-on approach: Alberta Premier DANIELLE SMITH did her own campaigning over the weekend at Mar-a-Lago where she was spotted with KEVIN O'LEARY and JORDAN PETERSON. “We had a friendly and constructive conversation during which I emphasized the mutual importance of the U.S.-Canadian energy relationship, and specifically, how hundreds of thousands of American jobs are supported by energy exports from Alberta,” Smith said on X. | 
