Above photo: Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump ate dinner together in Mar-a-Lago on November 29 after Trump threatened Canada with 25% tariffs. Justin Trudeau / X.
Leaving Behind Cost Of Living Crisis And Trump’s Tariff Threat.
Trudeau’s legacy is marked by unprecedented military exports to Israel and humiliation in regard to incoming US President Trump
On January 6, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. “I care deeply about this country and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interests of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority parliament in Canadian history,” Trudeau said as he resigned after nine years as prime minister and 11 years as the leader of the Liberal Party. Trudeau was facing a mounting cost of living crisis, dire opinion polls, and a tariff threat by the United States.
Last year, Trudeau’s government was caught by surprise with the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who wrote a scathing letter criticizing the then-prime minister.
Trudeau’s resignation comes a month after US president-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods coming from Canada. Following these threats, the Canadian leader scrambled to Florida to dine with Trump in person, after which Trump claimed that Trudeau “has made a commitment to work with us”—effectively undermining the sovereignty of a key trading partner.
In response to Trudeau’s resignation, Trump decided to once again undermine him in the public arena, claiming on right-leaning social media website Truth Social that Canada should merge with the US. “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” Trump wrote. “The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned.”
Trudeau also leaves behind a legacy of aiding Israeli in carrying out genocide in Gaza, with a new record set in 2023 of Canadian military exports to Israel, worth a total of USD 30.6 million. “
Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canadian left-wing New Democratic Party, responded to Trudeau’s resignation, addressing Canadians by saying that the centrist prime minister “has let you down, over and over.” According to Singh, Trudeau let Canadians down on the price of grocery and housing costs, as well as fixing the healthcare system. Indeed, escalating housing costs have plagued Canadians throughout Trudeau’s tenure. On average, housing prices are up more than 30% since 2020. And much like the US, inflation in the price of food has outpaced wage increases in Canada, leading to worker outrage.