Trump responded to Trudeau’s resignation by proposing the merger of Canada with the US
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation as Liberal leader comes just two weeks before Donald Trump takes office as US president, threatening to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports on day one.
Trudeau has said he will stay on as prime minister until a successor is chosen, raising the prospect that Canada will have a limping prime minister just as its biggest trading partner slaps high tariffs on exports.
The resignation means Trudeau can now do very little to fend off Trump’s threat of tariffs, says David MacNaughton, who Trudeau appointed Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. in 2016.
“The reality is that today when you announce your retirement, your power, your influence disappears almost immediately,” MacNaughton told CBC News on Monday.
He says Trudeau should have taken this step months ago to ensure the government was ready for Trump’s potential return to the White House.
“Right now we’re going to have a few months of uncertainty … and in the meantime, Trump is feeling pretty cocky these days.”
Trudeau’s resignation leaves Canada and its economy vulnerable to what Trump plans to impose, said Xavier Delgado, senior program fellow at the Wilson Center Canada Institute in Washington.
“This is an extraordinary time for the prime minister to announce that he is stepping down,” Delgado said. “In the context of Canada-US relations, it really doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
‘People in Canada LOVE being the 51st country’
Trump reacted to Trudeau’s resignation with a post on his page Truth Social platform.
“Many people in Canada LOVE to be the 51st country. The United States can no longer tolerate the massive trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to survive. Justin Trudeau knew that and resigned,” Trump said in the post.
“If Canada merged with the US,” Trump continued, “there would be no tariffs, taxes would be much lower, and they would be COMPLETELY SAFE from the threat of Russian and Chinese ships constantly surrounding them. Together, what would it be like?” great nation!!!”
Trudeau’s decision to step down raises questions about how the government will handle any negotiations with the Trump administration.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Liberal government will remain “solely focused” on protecting Canadian interests and continuing to “fight for the economy” even as the party moves through a leadership race following his resignation announcement.
“By announcing that he is resigning, Trudeau is effectively becoming a lame-duck prime minister,” Delgado said. “He doesn’t really have a mandate, given the fact that people here in Washington know he’s not going to be around much longer.”
Trudeau cites need to ‘stand up for Canadians’
During his press conference outside Rideau Cottage, Trudeau was asked how the government can protect Canada from the tariff threat if key cabinet ministers are involved in the leadership race.
“The government and cabinet will remain very focused on doing the job that Canadians elected us to do in 2021, which is to fight for their interests, advocate for their well-being and make sure that Canadians … are protected and strong,” he said. is Trudeau.
“I can assure you that the tools and the need to stand up for Canadians, to protect Canadians in their interests and continue to fight for the economy is something that everyone in this government will be very focused on.”
Trudeau did not directly respond to a question about whether Liberal leadership contenders would be required to vacate their seats during the race.
Several top cabinet ministers working on the Canada-US file — including Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc — are considered candidates for the leadership.
Couple traveled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in late December to meet with two of the president-elect’s cabinet picks and brief them on Ottawa’s plan to improve border security, which Trump has called for, if Canada hopes to avoid harsh tariffs.
Speaking to reporters Monday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Justin Trudeau’s number one focus before he resigns should be creating a plan to avoid Donald Trump’s tariff threat.
Trudeau’s resignation “couldn’t come at a worse time for U.S.-Canada relations,” said Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, an organization made up of business leaders in both countries.
“The government is in an interim regime,” Dawson said in an interview with CBC News. “Relationship [with the U.S.] I just can’t afford to be put on hold like that. “
Dawson says she’s not sure if Trudeau’s resignation puts Trump in a stronger negotiating position on tariffs, but she says it means Canada now lacks the capacity to quickly and nimbly respond to any new questions Trump raises.
“Who drives this bus?” she asked. “There is no leadership.”
President Joe Biden’s press secretary described Trudeau as a “faithful friend of the United States” in comments to reporters on Monday.
“We have worked closely together on the full range of issues facing our countries and the world as close allies, neighbors and as members of the G7,” said Karine Jean-Pierre. “The president is grateful for the prime minister’s partnership in all of this and for his commitment to defending North America against the geopolitical threats of the 21st century.”
Announcing his resignation as Liberal leader and prime minister once a new leader is elected, Justin Trudeau says he has asked the governor general to prorogue Parliament until March 24. Here’s everything you need to know about what that means — and what happens next.
