Justin Trudeau became emotional during a press conference on Thursday after Donald Trump increased economic pressure on Canada with new tariffs.
The U.S. imposed a 25 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, pushing the countries into a trade dispute. However, just days later, Trump announced that goods complying with the North American Free Trade Agreement would be exempt until April 2, with a possible similar exemption for Canada.
Trump has repeatedly mocked Trudeau, calling him ‘Governor Trudeau’ and suggesting Canada could become the 51st U.S. state. Trudeau is nearing the end of his leadership, as the Liberal Party will hold elections on Sunday to choose a new leader. That leader will then face a national election later.
Trudeau has been trying to maintain a strong image despite stepping down after it became clear he would struggle to win the next election. At a press conference in Ottawa on childhood health care, he showed visible emotion.
‘Every single day, I made sure to put Canadians first. We have your backs, and we will not let you down, even in these final days of this government,’ he said while tearing up. He added that he looks forward to ‘transitioning to my elected successor soon.’
Meanwhile, Trump continues to criticize Trudeau, questioning if he is truly stepping down.
‘Despite the terrible job he’s done, I think Justin Trudeau is using the tariff issue to make a comeback. Interesting to watch!’ Trump said.
The next Canadian election is set for no later than October 20, 2025. Mark Carney, a former central bank governor, is leading the Liberal leadership race, followed by former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
With about 400,000 Liberal members eligible to vote, the leadership race is critical. Since winning reelection in November, Trump has repeatedly referred to Trudeau as a ‘governor’ and suggested Canada join the U.S. to avoid tariffs.
In response, Trudeau called the tariff move ‘dumb’ and announced retaliatory tariffs worth $155 billion on American goods.
‘We will stand up for each other. We will fight. And we will win,’ Trudeau said.
Trump insists Canada relies too much on the U.S., while Canadians continue looking for ways to respond to the tariffs.