Justin Trudeau latest: Trump threatens ‘economic force’ to make Canada ‘51st State’ after PM 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
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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.
Trump was asked if he plans to use military force to make Canada the 51st state on Tuesday.
He said he plans to use “economic force.”
“Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something — you get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like,” he added.
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. “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.”
Trudeau is the first liberal beast to be felled by Trump. Question is: who’s next?
Canada was, it was widely said, plunged into crisis after Justin Trudeau resigned as prime minister and Liberal Party leader on the first working day after the holiday break. But this is not quite true.
Canadian politics was already in crisis. It might be more accurate to present Trudeau’s resignation as offering the only way out of the crisis that had culminated last month in the summary departure of his deputy and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, and the loss of support from the last party in parliament, still shoring up his minority government.
Freeland’s resignation had laid bare a sharp policy split at the apex of the government over public spending, while the threat by Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, to propose a no-confidence vote could have toppled a government already barely able to govern.
Read more:
Trudeau is the first liberal beast to be felled by Trump. Question is: who’s next?
Many nations have tried to plead their case with the incoming US president, writes Mary Dejevsky. But the Canadian PM’s attempt to square him in advance may have been a costly mistake
He failed to stop Brexit, but Mark Carney hopes to save Canada from populism
Mark Carney, who could enter the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, 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.
His tenure at the Bank became better-known for his failed attempts to persuade Britons not to vote to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. But 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 said he is “considering this decision closely with my family over the coming days.”
David Maddox has the full story.
Mark Carney: Failed to stop Brexit but hopes to save Canada from populism
The former Governor of the Bank of England is a frontrunner to replace Justin Trudeau as Canadian prime minister
Canada-India relations may improve thanks to Trudeau departure, expert says
The former Indian High Commissioner to Canada has speculated that Canada-India relations could improve thanks to Justin Trudeau’s resignation.
According to Vikas Swarup, relations between Canada and India had reached their lowest point in decades under the incumbent prime minister’s leadership.
Swarup told to CNBC TV18 that if the Liberal Party lose in the next election, as some opinion polling indicates, it could pave the way “for a substantial change in ties” between the two nations.
“The fight between India and Canada was never between India and Canada, it was between India and Prime Minister Trudeau,” Swarup explained, referring to the controversy surrounding Trudeau’s allegations against India and the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver.
Trump says he plans to use ‘economic force’ to make Canada 51st state
President-elect Donald Trump was asked if he plans to use military force to make Canada the 51st state.
He said he plans to use “economic force.”
“Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something — you get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like,” he added.
“And it would also be much better for national security. Don't forget, we basically protect Canada,” he claimed. “But here's the problem with Canada. So many friends up there. I love the Canadian people. They're great, but we're spending hundreds of billions a year to protect it.”
Opposition leader taunts Trudeau and says he’s ‘too cowardly’ to call election
After trolling Canada and Trudeau toppled, Trump sets sights on Greenland
Less than 24 hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his exit, Donald Trump dispatched his eldest son on a visit to Greenland and said the US “must” acquire the autonomous Arctic territory from Denmark.
“Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland. The reception has been great,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday morning. “They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
The incoming commander-in-chief first trailed the visit on Monday evening, posting that he is “hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’”.
He added: “My son, Don Jr, and various representatives, will be traveling there to visit some of the most magnificent areas and sights.”
The president-elect has also talked about “merging” the US with Canada in recent days, capitalizing on the political instability caused by Trudeau’s resignation this week to post on Truth Social on Monday: “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State.”
ICYMI: Trudeau takes subtle dig at former deputy prime minister whose shock resignation foretold his downfall
As he announced Monday that he would be stepping down as his party’s leader, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a subtle dig at his former deputy prime minister whose shocking resignation foretold his downfall.
Former deputy prime minister and minister of finance Chrystia Freeland threw Trudeau’s government into chaos when she abruptly resigned from the cabinet last month, just hours before she was due to deliver the country’s first economic update since the U.S. election.
And now, a mere few weeks later, Trudeau followed with his resignation citing “internal battles” within his Liberal Party.
Rhian Lubin has the story.
Trudeau’s subtle dig at ex-deputy PM whose shock resignation foretold his downfall
Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland threw Trudeau’s government into chaos when she abruptly resigned from the cabinet last month
Canadian billionaire, who once vied to be PM, urged Trump to tone down Canada rhetoric days before Trudeau exit
Canadian billionaire Kevin O’Leary said that he urged Donald Trump to “stand down on Canada” until a new prime minister is appointed, just days before Justin Trudeau announced his departure.
The Shark Tank star, who in 2016 entered the race to lead Canada’s Conservative Party, told America’s Newsroom on Tuesday that he visited the president elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday.
“So I was in Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. I had a few moments with the president-elect, and I asked him if he would consider the fact that Trudeau... on Saturday, when we were talking, the rumors were that he was going to resign,” he said.
“I said, ‘Well, why not stand down on Canada for the next couple of months while they elect a new leader like you were elected with a four year mandate.’”
O’Leary’s plea follows Trump threatening to impose a blanket 25 percent tariff on the import of Canadian goods, and suggesting that the nation will become the 51st US state.
Ontario premier announces border crackdown amidst Trump threats that derailed Trudeau
Premier of Ontario Doug Ford announced the launch of “Operation Deterrence” to bolster border security with the US, as Donald Trump’s tariff threats loom.
On Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignaton, Ford said in a statement that the Ontario government will “crack down on illegal border crossings and illegal guns and drugs”.
As part of the response, the Ontario Provincial Police has assembled an emergency response team of 200 officers.
After garnering enough electoral college votes to be declared president-elect in November, Trump threatened to impose a blanket 25 percent tariff on the import of Canadian goods unless border security is tightened.
Writing at the time on Truth Social, he said that the levy would “remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country”.
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