Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked the Emergency Powers Act against the Freedom Convoy, and as PJM’s Paula Bolyard noted, “Among other things, the Canadian government will freeze the assets of truck owners participating in the protests and cancel their insurance policies.”

Since the protests have not been violent, as Trudeau claimed, his action amounts to a clampdown on political dissent itself and a serious strike at the very possibility of standing up to a tyrannical government.

If we had a President of the United States right now who was worthy of the name, he (or she — yes, it could be Tulsi Gabbard) would regard Trudeau’s action as far worse than anything Putin is planning regarding Ukraine, and would take a strong stand in defense of freedom.

Of course, nothing is much less likely than Old Joe Biden chiding Trudeau for his authoritarian overreach. The two Leftists see eye-to-eye on the Canadian truckers’ effrontery in demanding freedom, as Jen Psaki made clear Friday while reporting on their recent conversation. “The two leaders,” she said, using the term very loosely, “agreed that the actions of the individuals who are obstructing travel and commerce between our two countries are having significant impact on citizens’ lives and livelihoods. The president expressed his concern that United States companies and workers are experiencing serious effects including slowdowns in production, shortened work hours, and plant closures.” Psaki added that Trudeau “promised quick action in enforcing the law.”

Quick action he has given us, but he isn’t exactly enforcing the law. The Emergency Powers Act is supposed to be invoked to deal with a situation that “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians and is of such proportions or nature as to exceed the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it.” This is the sort of elastic and imprecise language that cries out for abuse by a tyrant. And it’s noteworthy that when Leftist protestors in Canada were burning down churches and tearing down statues — actions that one could much more compellingly argue endanger people’s lives than anything the Freedom Convoy has done — Trudeau never hinted that he might invoke emergency powers.

So if we had an American president right now, he would make a major address tonight. He would address Trudeau directly, and remind him that freedom of assembly and freedom of speech are cornerstones of any free society. He would detail how dangerous a precedent the Canadian prime minister is setting by freezing the truckers’ bank accounts and would note that such tyrannical measures could just as easily be used against Trudeau and his allies if the opposition were ever to come to power. (Not that the opposition would do that, because it remains committed to basic freedoms.)