Ottawa: U.S. president-elect Donald Trump mocked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by referring to him as “Governor Justin Trudeau” on Truth Social, hours after Trudeau warned of retaliatory measures if the U.S. imposes a 25% tariff on Canadian imports. Trump’s remarks came after dinner talks on tariffs and trade, where he also joked about Canada potentially becoming the U.S.’s 51st state.
While Trudeau acknowledged how devastating the tariffs could be, he urged calm and strategic response. Canadian officials dismissed the comments from Trump as jokes; some said a mature, united approach was required toward the situation.
The Trump tariffs have been notorious for taking a hard stand, where Trump reiterated his views on trade and border security, threatening higher tariffs until issues were resolved. Canada has not detailed how it will specifically respond but is ramping up border resources.