Justin Trudeau – latest: Trump says ‘many in Canada love being 51st State’ after PM announces resignation
The race to succeed Trudeau as Liberal Party leader is underway following the Canadian prime minister’s exit over his handling of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as Liberal Party leader in the wake of US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats and taunts referring to Canada as the 51st state.
It’s the end of a nine-year stint in office, as pressure grew from within his Liberal Party which is trailing significantly behind the opposition Conservative Party in the polls.
Trudeau, 53, who will remain as Canadian prime minister until the party has chosen a successor, made the announcement from his Rideau Cottage residence on Monday.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process,” he said Monday. “This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I am having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.”
Party infighting broke out following Trudeau’s reponse to Trump threats to introduce a blanket 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports upon taking office on January 20. On Monday, the president-elect took another jibe on Truth Social, and said that “many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State”.
Mark Carney: From running the Banks of England and Canada to trying to succeed Justin Trudeau
Mark Carney came to prominence in Britain as the man hand-picked by George Osborne to be governor of the Bank of England and help bring financial stability after the 2008 banking collapse.
But his tenure at the Bank became better known for his failed attempts to stop Brexit in the 2016 referendum and a rearguard action to mitigate the disaster of leaving the EU.
However, while he failed to stop Brexit he now hopes to be the man who can step in and prevent populists taking control in Canada.
The economist, 59, who holds British and Irish as well as Canadian citizenship, has put himself forward to replace Justin Trudeau as the next leader of the Liberal Party in Canada and become its prime minister.
The Independent’s political editor, David Maddox, has the full story.
Mark Carney: From running Banks of England to trying to succeed Justin Trudeau
The former Governor of the Bank of England is a frontrunner to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister
Watch: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation speech
Musk, a former Canada resident, revels in Trudeau’s resignation
Former Canada resident Elon Musk has shared his jubilation over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his resignation on Monday night.
In the wake of Trudeau’s announcement, Musk shared a post celebrating the PM’s departure on his social media platform, X, with the caption: “2025 is looking good.”
The original post read: “Trump won. Trudeau resigned. Keir Starmer got exposed. Nayib Bukele cut crime by 95% in El Salvador. Javier Milei created the first surplus since 2008 in Argentina. Masculinity is back. Great men are ascendant. And just in time. We’re going to need them.”
Musk, who is set to lead Donald Trump’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, immigrated to Canada at the age of 18, acquiring citizenship through his Canadian-born mother, Maye.
A decade later, the billionaire became a naturalized US citizen. Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa.
ICYMI: Trump declares many Candians ‘LOVE being the 51st State’
Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, to enter race to succeed Trudeau
The former governor of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada, Mark Carney is considering entering the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as Liberal party leader, following the Canadian incumbent prime minister’s exit on Monday.
Carney, 59, is the chair of Brookfield Asset Management and is affiliated with Liberal-alligned think tank Canada 2020. He has never run for political office.
“I’ll be considering this decision closely with my family over the coming days,” Carney told the Financial Times.
Carney has remained a top adviser to Trudeau’s government and, in September, the Liberal party announced he would lead a task force on economic growth.
“Throughout his extensive career both in public service and the private sector, Mark Carney’s ideas, deep experience, and proven economic leadership have made a bedrock contribution to a better economic future for all Canadians,” Trudeau said at the time.
How the once fresh face of Canadian liberalism began hemorrhaging support
After nearly 10 years at the country’s helm, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as leader of the ruling Liberal Party.
Trudeau’s latest crisis has been sparked by the sudden resignation of his finance minister Chrystia Freeland, amid a dispute over how best to handle U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threatened trade tariffs. At a press conference on Monday, Trudeau cited “internal battles” within the Liberal Party that meant he “cannot be the best option” in the next election.
Once the poster-boy for liberal politics, his popularity has waned and his approval rating has dipped below 30 percent several times this year. So what went wrong?
Rachel Clun and Rhian Lubin have the details.
The rise and fall of Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister resigns
The leader was once a poster boy for liberalism but has now resigned after nearly 10 years in office
Here’s who might replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader
In the wake of Justin Trudeau, the incumbent Canadian prime minister, stepping down on Monday, the (unofficial) race to replace him is underway. Here are the potential front-runners:
Anita Anand: 57-year-old was minister of procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic before becoming defense minister in 2021. In 2023, she became president of the Treasury Board.
Mark Carney: 59-year-old former central banker for Canada and the UK who is now affiliated with Liberal-aligned think tank Canada 2020.
François-Philippe Champagne: 54-year-old current minister for innovation who has held a suite of cabinet jobs: from international trade to foreign affairs. One of Trudeau’s officials tasked with handling contentious relations with the US ahead of the 2024 election.
Christy Clark: 59-year-old former Liberal premier-turned-senior law firm advisor. Openly called for Trudeau’s resignation after the Toronto–St. Paul’s byelection loss in June.
Sean Fraser: 40-year-old lawyer quit Trudeau’s cabinet as housing minister in December. Though he said he would not run in the next federal election, he shouldn’t be ruled out.
Chrystia Freeland: 56-year-old long-trusted senior official under Trudeau also resigned in December. Handled the North American Free Trade Agreement during Donald Trump’s first term between 2016-2018.
Mélanie Joly: 45-year-old has been foreign affairs minister since 2021 and is leading the Canadian response to the Russia-Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle East.
Dominic LeBlanc: 57-year-old minister of Intergovernmental Affairs who was fixer-in-chief under Trudeau during the Covid-19 pandemic and healthcare negotiations.
Ontario premier Doug Ford: ‘Let’s get to work and build Fortress Am-Can’
It’s not just Canada. Trump also vies to take over Greenland
In the wake of Donald Trump again musing Canada will become the 51st US state, his eldest son, Don Jr, is set to visit Greenland Tuesday, as his father triggers local anger by renewing his push to make the Danish territory part of the U.S.
The president-elect announced on his social network Truth Social on Monday that Don Jr and "various representatives" would soon be touring the island's "magnificent areas and sights.”
The soon-to-be president added: “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
Io Dodds has the details.
Don Jr to visit Greenland as Trump renews threat to take it over
‘We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World,’ soon-to-be-president vows as he announces son’s trip
Inside Justin Trudeau’s three general election wins
Justin Trudeau was once heralded as a fresh face of liberalism, offering a message of hope and prosperity to revive a party which had collapsed in support when he took over. During his nine years in office, he won three general elections, with his share of the vote slipping each cycle.
2015: Justin Trudeau had collapsed to 34 seats with 19 percent of the vote in the 2011 election. Returning four years later with an image of positivity and competence to the Liberals, they stormed to a majority win with 184 seats and a 39.5 percent vote share.
2019: The Liberals lost their parliamentary majority in 2019, after a vote swing of -6.4 percent saw them lose 20 seats. They nonetheless went on to form a single-party minority government, setting a record at the time for the lowest ever vote share required to do so. The Conservatives won the popular vote; Trudeau’s party won 36 more seats.
2021: For the second election running, the Liberals narrowly lost the popular vote but were able to form a government. Trudeau had hoped the positivity around his government’s response to the Covid pandemic would translate into a rallying majority. Although this did not happen, the Liberals marginally increased their seat share.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments