JUSTIN Trudeau was chocking back tears after a tormented tariff war with Donald Trump in his final days as Canada’s PM.
Trudeau tried to put on a brave face following a week of economic and political turmoil, with Trump hitting Canada with devastating trade tariffs before suddenly reversing course.
APCanada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fought back tears during a press conference on Thursday[/caption]
APTrudeau is preparing to step down as Canada’s PM[/caption]
The White House / BEEMThe Canadian leader has gone through a tormented tarrif war week with US President Donald Trump[/caption]
On Tuesday, the US slapped a brutal 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico.
Just days later, Trump abruptly softened his stance, announcing that goods compliant with the North American free trade agreement would be exempt until April 2, with a possible carve-out for Canada.
But the damage had already been done.
Trudeau, who who was already on his way out after being forced to resign in the face of a crushing election defeat, was visibly shaken as he addressed reporters in Ottawa on Thursday.
“I made sure that every single day in this office, I put Canadians first and I have people’s backs,” he said, with his voice cracking.
“That’s why I’m here to tell you all that we got you, even in the last days of this government. We will not let Canadians down today and well into the future.”
His teary farewell came just thee days before his Liberal party selects a new leader on Sunday.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England chief Mark Carney is the clear frontrunner.
Trudeau’s replacement will face a national election later this year.
TRUMP’S RELENTLESS MOCKERY
Trump, who has spent months mocking Trudeau, showed no sympathy.
The US leader has repeatedly belittled his Canadian counterpart, referring to him as “Governor Trudeau” and even suggesting Canada should become America’s “51st state”.
After Trudeau’s emotional press conference, Trump wasted no time twisting the knife.
He posted on Truth Social: “Believe it or not, despite the terrible job he’s done for Canada, I think that Justin Trudeau is using the Tariff problem, which he has largely caused, in order to run again for Prime Minister.
“So much fun to watch!”
Trump argued that the US trade deficit with his upstairs neighbour justifies his aggressive tariff policies.
“We subsidize them $200 billion a year. Without us, Canada can’t make it,” he said last week.
Trudeau hit back, calling the tariffs “dumb” and vowing swift retaliation.
Canada announced 25 per cent tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods, with $30 billion of those duties taking effect immediately.
“This is a time to hit back hard and to demonstrate that a fight with Canada will have no winners,” Trudeau warned.
APTrump has constantly mocked Trudeau over the past few months[/caption]
RexTrump previously imposed a sudden 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports[/caption]
TRUDEAU’S FINAL DAYS
As Justin Trudeau prepares to step aside, he made it clear that he will not try to stay on in a caretaker capacity once his successor is chosen.
“I’m looking forward to a transition to my duly elected successor in the coming days or week,” he said.
Reflecting on his decade in power, Trudeau cited the challenges of dealing with Trump, the pandemic, inflation crises, and global conflicts.
“These have been complicated times. This is the job I signed up for. This is the job I will continue to do until the very last moment I’m doing this job,” he said.
His voice wavered when speaking about one of his key policies—affordable child care.
“Child care is a matter of fairness. It strengthens our economy, makes it more resilient, and that’s never been as important as it is right now,” he said.
Despite his teary-eyed farewell, Trudeau insisted he had no regrets about his tenure.
“This has been the honor of my life serving Canadians,” he said.
Trump’s Canada tariff back-and-forth explained
DONALD Trump threw Canada into economic chaos this week by imposing a sudden 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports Tuesday, only to partially reverse course days later.
After sparking a trade war, the US president announced that goods compliant with the North American free trade agreement would be exempt until April 2.
He also hinted at a possible carve-out for Canada.
The move followed months of Trump mocking Justin Trudeau, referring to him as “Governor Trudeau” and suggesting Canada should become the U.S.’s 51st state.
Trudeau, who called the tariffs “dumb,” hit back with retaliatory duties on $155 billion worth of American goods.
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