In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, President Trump shared his thoughts on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s handling of the ongoing tariff dispute, suggesting that Trudeau might be using the situation to hold onto power. Trump’s post followed a phone conversation he had with Trudeau earlier that day about the new tariffs.
Trump explained that during the call, he told Trudeau about the issue of fentanyl coming from Canada and Mexico. “I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped,” Trump wrote. “He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, ‘That’s not good enough,’ Trump claimed.
While Trump described the call as somewhat cordial, he also raised suspicions about Trudeau’s political motivations. He said the conversation ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner but revealed that when he asked Trudeau about the timing of Canada’s next election, Trudeau couldn’t provide an answer. This led Trump to question Trudeau’s intentions.
“He was unable to tell me when the Canadian Election is taking place, which made me curious, like, what’s going on here? I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power,” before adding: “Good luck Justin!”
The call came after Trump had previously delayed the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month, following talks with Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Both leaders agreed to more measures to secure their borders, which resulted in the delay. However, on Monday, Trump announced that there would be no more room for negotiations and that the tariffs would go into effect at midnight.
On Tuesday, after Trudeau criticized Trump’s decision to impose tariffs, Trump warned that additional taxes could be added if Canada retaliated. Trudeau had called the tariffs “dumb” in a speech and defended Canada’s retaliatory actions. “We don’t want this,” Trudeau said. “We want to work with you as a friend and ally, and we don’t want to see you hurt either, but your government has chosen to do this to you.” He also added, “They have chosen to launch a trade war that will, first and foremost, harm American families.”
Later that day, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that Trump might announce a compromise with Canada and Mexico after speaking to officials from both countries. “Trump is leaning toward” excluding parts of Canada and Mexico from the tariffs for a month, Lutnick said in an interview on Fox News Wednesday.
Then, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that automakers would be exempted from the tariffs for a month.
