Trump Jabs at ‘Governor’ Trudeau
Donald Trump, the US President-elect, made a light-hearted jab at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, calling him the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”
In a social media post early on Tuesday, Trump referenced a dinner the two shared in late November at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Prime Minister Trudeau visited Trump following a threat from the president-elect to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods when he takes office in January.
Trump stated in the post that he hoped to “continue our in-depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all.”
Canada, with a population of 40 million, is one of America’s largest trading partners, sending about 75% of its exports to the US. The two countries also share deeply integrated supply chains.
On Monday, Trudeau told the Halifax Chamber of Commerce that Canada would respond to any tariffs if the Trump administration follows through with the threat after his January 20th inauguration. Trudeau mentioned that Canada is still considering the “right” response, citing retaliatory tariffs Ottawa imposed when Trump’s first administration placed levies on steel and aluminum.
“Our responses to the unfair steel and aluminum tariffs were what ended up lifting those tariffs last time,” Trudeau said.
Ottawa imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, and over 250 US goods, including beer kegs, whiskey, and orange juice. These measures were designed to politically pressure the US and highlight the impact of cross-border trade.
Trudeau described these counter-measures as “carefully targeted” and “politically impactful to the president’s party and colleagues,” allowing Canada, a much smaller economy than the US, to “punch back in a way that was actually felt by Americans.”
Trump also threatened similar tariffs on Mexico unless the two countries secure their shared borders with the US. According to US Border Patrol data, crossings at the US-Canada border are significantly lower than those at the southern border, as is the amount of fentanyl seized.
Trudeau acknowledged the economic threat posed by the potential tariffs but assured Canadians not to “freak out.” He added that Trump’s strategy often aims to “destabilize a negotiating partner.”
Trudeau is set to meet with the leaders of Canada’s provinces and territories on Wednesday to discuss the strategy for approaching negotiations with the US.
Trump’s “governor” quip is not the first time he has poked fun at Canada. At Mar-a-Lago, Trump joked that Canada should become the 51st US state—a comment that was “in no way a serious remark,” said Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc, who accompanied Trudeau to the dinner. “The president was telling jokes, the president was teasing us,” Leblanc explained to reporters earlier this month.
