Donald Trump’s agenda of prosperity, security and safety for the United States will be good for Canada as well, says Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada .

“I am optimistic about where this relationship is ,” he said at an Empire Club event in downtown Toronto on Tuesday. “I’m more optimistic about where I believe this relationship is going.”

But minutes later, after Hoekstra sat down for a chat with Lisa Raitt, vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC Capital Markets, she asked if the state of the relationship was what he expected.

“Yeah, I’m disappointed that some of the rhetoric has gone to where it has,” he said. “But that’s why I come and I give an optimistic message.”

Hoekstra did not elaborate on which “rhetoric” was disappointing, but said he is optimistic b

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