If New York billionaire Stephen Schwarzman wants to make even more money by owning essential Canadian infrastructure, the co-founder of Blackstone Inc. BX-N and his colleagues need to take a public stand against U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on Canadian sovereignty.

Mr. Schwarzman is among the many U.S. executives who paved the way for Mr. Trump’s second term by publicly endorsing the Republican candidate and donating to his campaign. Blackstone’s chief executive officer chose to insert himself into the political process.

Now Mr. Schwarzman is looking for Ottawa’s blessing on plans to acquire a $7-billion, 49.9-per-cent stake in Rogers Communications Inc.’s wireless network, a backbone of the domestic economy. If Blackstone’s CEO isn’t willing to publicly disavow Mr. Trump’s reckless trade war and his plans to annex Canada, the federal government should block the asset manager’s investment in Rogers’ gear.

A handful of Wall Street executives are beginning to call out a vindictive President, including Jamie Dimon at JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Bill Ackman at Pershing Square Holdings Ltd., who took to X on Monday to say: “The global economy is being taken down because of bad math.”

Mr. Schwarzman, who’s worth an estimated US$40-billion, needs to add his powerful voice to the debate. Mr. Trump, a child of the New York suburbs, craves the approval of self-made Manhattan tycoons such as Blackstone’s boss in much the same way he feeds on the adulation of crowds.

The Canadian government can give Mr. Schwarzman a stage.

Buying into Rogers’s wireless backhaul network is a landmark investment for the New York-based asset manager. Blackstone elbowed aside rival Apollo Global Management Inc. – a pioneer in these innovative carve-out transactions – and Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. to win the prize.

Blackstone, backed by four Canadian pension funds, stands to make at least $400-million a year from its stake in the Rogers network. The returns will rise if Rogers subscribers use more data. Can anyone imagine a universe in which we spend less time scrolling on our cellphones?

The federal government has the power to review Blackstone’s planned investment on national security grounds. Ottawa should use this audit as an opportunity to ask Mr. Schwarzman to weigh in on Mr. Trump’s economic policies and the President’s intentions for his northern neighbour.

Last month, U.S. senators used a public forum to ensure incoming U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra viewed this country as a sovereign state – a surreal moment in cross-border relations. Canadian politicians can do the same by using a parliamentary hearing on Blackstone’s investment in Rogers to give Mr. Schwarzman a chance to speak his mind. It would be must-see TV.

If Mr. Schwarzman lines up behind Mr. Trump by endorsing high tariffs, false claims on fentanyl smuggling and annexation ambition, then federal regulators can simply deny Blackstone the privilege of owning essential domestic infrastructure. Rogers can turn to another deep-pocketed partner.

If Mr. Schwarzman isn’t willing to oppose Mr. Trump’s most reckless impulses, Ottawa needs to block Blackstone investments in Canada.

The more likely outcome is Mr. Schwarzman welcomes his time before the cameras on Parliament Hill as a chance to state the obvious – trade wars are destructive and Canada is a sovereign nation. Blackstone already has more than US$14-billion invested in Canadian real estate and Mr. Schwarzman has deep ties to political and business leaders here. He gets the Great White North.

On Monday, a Blackstone spokesperson said in an e-mail: “Mr. Schwarzman has the utmost respect for Canada and its sovereignty. He is proud of his role, on behalf of the U.S., in helping to facilitate conversations which led to the successful conclusion of the USMCA agreement.”

Give Mr. Schwarzman a reason to express his views on Canada, and the Blackstone CEO should add his voice to the pleas for common sense coming from peers such as Mr. Dimon and Mr. Ackman.

To date, U.S. business leaders have bent a knee to Mr. Trump, rather than take him on. That’s a terrifying development for domestic companies. Canada needs U.S. allies with ties to Mr. Trump to defuse a global trade war and temper the President’s territorial ambitions. Mr. Schwarzman is one of the few CEOs with clout in Mr. Trump’s White House.

Blackstone has a $7-billion reason to speak up for Canadian sovereignty. Let’s make sure Mr. Schwarzman gets in front of a microphone and let’s hear what the Trump whisperer has to say.