The latest from Justin Trudeau: Trump says ‘many in Canada love being the 51st nation’ after prime minister announces his resignation

The latest from Justin Trudeau: Trump says ‘many in Canada love being the 51st nation’ after prime minister announces his resignation

Justin Trudeau resigns as Canadian Prime Minister

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party after US President-elect Donald Trump threatened tariffs and referred to Canada as the 51st nation.

It marks the end of a nine-year term as pressure mounted within his Liberal Party, which is well behind the opposition Conservative Party in the polls.

Trudeau, 53, who will remain Canada’s prime minister until the party chooses a successor, made the announcement Monday from his Rideau Cottage residence.

“I intend to step down as party leader and prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process,” he said on Monday. “This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and I have realized that if I have to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in this election.”

Intra-party disputes broke out after Trudeau’s response to Trump’s threats to impose a flat 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports when he took office on January 20. On Monday, the president-elect once again mocked Truth Social, saying “many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st state.”

ICYMI: Trump declares many Canadians ‘LOVE being the 51st nation’

Donald Trump mocked Canada again, claiming its citizens “LOVE being the 51st nation.”
Donald Trump mocked Canada again, claiming its citizens “LOVE being the 51st nation.” (Donald Trump/Truth Social )

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 10:50

Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, is entering the race to succeed Trudeau

Former Bank of England and Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney is considering joining the race to succeed Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party after the incumbent Canadian prime minister left office on Monday.

Carney, 59, is chairman of Brookfield Asset Management and a member of the liberal-leaning think tank Canada 2020. He has never run for political office.

“I will carefully consider this decision with my family in the coming days,” Carney told the Financial Times.

Carney remained a top adviser to the Trudeau government and in September the Liberal Party announced he would lead an economic growth task force.

“Throughout his extensive career in both public service and the private sector, Mark Carney’s ideas, extensive experience and proven economic leadership have made fundamental contributions to a better economic future for all Canadians,” Trudeau said at the time.

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 10:35 am

How the once fresh face of Canadian liberalism began to lose support

After almost ten years at the helm of the country, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as leader of the ruling Liberal Party.

Trudeau’s latest crisis was sparked by the sudden resignation of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, amid a dispute over how best to deal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threatened trade tariffs. At a news conference on Monday, Trudeau cited “internal struggles” within the Liberal Party that mean he “may not be the best option” in the next election.

Once the poster child of liberal politics, his popularity has waned and his approval rating has dipped below 30 percent several times this year. So what went wrong?

Rachel Clun And Rhian Lubin Got the details.

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 10:15 am

Here’s who could replace Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party

After Justin Trudeau, Canada’s incumbent prime minister, resigned on Monday, the (unofficial) race to succeed him is underway. Here are the potential frontrunners:

Anita Anand: The 57-year-old was Minister for Procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic before becoming Defense Minister in 2021. In 2023, she became President of the Treasury Board.

Mark Carney: 59-year-old former central banker for Canada and the United Kingdom who is now affiliated with the liberal-leaning think tank Canada 2020.

François-Philippe Champagne: The 54-year-old current minister for innovation has held a range of cabinet positions: from international trade to foreign policy. One of Trudeau’s officials tasked with managing contentious relations with the US ahead of the 2024 election.

Christy Clark: 59-year-old former Liberal premier turned senior adviser to a law firm. Openly called for Trudeau’s resignation after the Toronto–St. Paul’s by-election defeat in June.

Sean Fraser: The 40-year-old lawyer resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet as housing minister in December. Although he said he would not run in the next federal election, he should not be excluded.

Chrystia Freeland: The 56-year-old senior official under Trudeau, whom he had long trusted, also resigned in December. During Donald Trump’s first term in office between 2016 and 2018, he was responsible for the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Melanie Joly: The 45-year-old has been Foreign Minister since 2021 and leads the Canadian response to the war and conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Middle East.

Dominic LeBlanc: 57-year-old intergovernmental affairs minister who was Trudeau’s chief during the Covid-19 pandemic and health care negotiations.

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 10:00

Ontario Premier Doug Ford: “Let’s get to work building Fortress Am-Can”

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 09:45

It’s not just Canada. Trump also wants to take over Greenland

With Donald Trump musing again about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, his eldest son, Don Jr., will visit Greenland on Tuesday as his father sparks anger from locals by renewing his push to take over the Danish territory to make it part of the USA

The president-elect announced Monday on his social network Truth Social that Don Jr. and “various representatives” would soon tour the island’s “splendid areas and sights.”

The future president added: “Greenland is an incredible place and the people will benefit enormously from it if and when it becomes part of our nation.” We will protect and value it from a very vicious outside world. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

Io Dodds has the details.

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 09:30

Inside Justin Trudeau’s three general election victories

Justin Trudeau was once seen as the new face of liberalism, proclaiming a message of hope and prosperity to revitalize a party whose support had collapsed when he came to power. During his nine years in office, he won three general elections, with his vote share declining in each cycle.

2015: Justin Trudeau collapsed to 34 seats in the 2011 election with 19 percent of the vote. Four years later, they returned to the Liberals with a positive and competent image and stormed to a majority victory with 184 seats and a 39.5 percent vote share.

2019: The Liberals lost their parliamentary majority in 2019 after losing 20 seats in a -6.4 percent vote swing. Nevertheless, they formed a one-party minority government, setting a record at the time for the lowest vote share ever required to do so. The Conservatives won the popular vote; Trudeau’s party won 36 more seats.

2021: In the second election in a row, the Liberals narrowly lost the popular vote but were able to form a government. Trudeau had hoped his government’s positive response to the Covid pandemic would lead to a growing majority. Although this did not happen, the Liberals slightly increased their share of seats.

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 09:15

Explainer: Why did Justin Trudeau resign?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned as leader of the Liberal Party on Monday after facing enormous pressure to step down from members of his own party since his deputy prime minister resigned over concerns about Donald Trump’s tariffs.

With low approval ratings, partly due to the cost of living crisis, there were growing signs that Canadians had lost trust in the Liberal Party, which Trudeau has led as prime minister since 2015.

But internal confidence collapsed in mid-December when Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister and finance chief, unexpectedly resigned, citing disagreements over the handling of Trump’s proposed 25 percent tariffs on the country – an issue that could harm the economy .

Ariana Baio analyzes Trudeau’s resignation.

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 09:00

What happens now that Justin Trudeau resigns?

Alexander ButlerJanuary 7, 2025 08:45

Trudeau is pursuing the leader of the Canadian Conservatives

Justin Trudeau criticized Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Canadian Conservatives, arguing that his vision was “not the right one for Canadians.”

The outgoing Prime Minister said it would be “pointless” to stop fighting climate change.

“We need an ambitious, optimistic look to the future,” he said.

“Pierre Poilievre doesn’t offer that,” he added.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes an announcement outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, January 6, 2025
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes an announcement outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, January 6, 2025 (AP)

James LiddellJanuary 7, 2025 08:30

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