Former US President Donald Trump has accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of leveraging the ongoing tariff dispute between the two nations as a political strategy for re-election. Trump alleged that Trudeau was using the issue to retain his position despite what he described as a “terrible job” governing Canada.
“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 stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday.
The trade tensions escalated after the US imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, citing Trudeau’s failure to curb the flow of synthetic drug fentanyl into the United States. In response, the Canadian government announced retaliatory tariffs of equivalent value on US imports.
On Wednesday, Trump referred to Trudeau as the “Governor” of Canada, revealing that the Canadian leader had reached out to discuss the tariff situation. Trump described their conversation as ending in a “somewhat friendly manner” but suggested Trudeau was unable to confirm the timing of Canada’s next election.
“Justin Trudeau, of Canada, called me to ask what could be done about Tariffs. 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. He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, ‘That’s not good enough.’ The call ended in a ‘somewhat’ friendly manner! 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. Good luck Justin!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Further elaborating on his stance, Trump blamed Trudeau’s border policies for the influx of fentanyl and illegal immigration into the United States.
“For anyone who is interested, I also told Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada that he largely caused the problems we have with them because of his Weak Border Policies, which allowed tremendous amounts of Fentanyl, and Illegal Aliens, to pour into the United States. These Policies are responsible for the death of many people!” Trump added.
The ongoing dispute over trade tariffs and border security continues to fuel tensions between the two nations as Canada prepares for its next federal election.