Justin Trudeau Announces Resignation as Canadian Prime Minister
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he is resigning as head of the ruling Liberal Party and will step down as prime minister once the party chooses a new leader.
“It has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option” for prime minister in the next election, Trudeau said during a Monday morning news conference in Ottawa. He has served as prime minister since 2015.
The prime minister he will remain in his role while a “nationwide” grassroots party election for his replacement takes place. Trudeau said he came to the decision recently and shared the news with his family last night.
“Every morning I’ve woken up as prime minister, I have been inspired by the resilience, generosity and the determination of Canadians,” Trudeau added. “I have fought for this country, for you.”
Trudeau has requested parliament be suspended until March 26 to allow for the selection of his successor, meaning Trudeau will remain as prime minister for the first two months of the Trump administration. Canada is planning for a general election before Oct. 20 of this year to elect members to parliament.
“It’s time for a reset,” Trudeau said. “It’s time for the temperature to come down, for the people to have a fresh start in Parliament.”
Trudeau, who led the nation for almost a decade, has encountered resistance and mounting discontent from citizens. His approval rating recently hit a record low, and polls indicate the Liberal Party is dropping in popularity and could lose the upcoming general election to conservatives, according to the Angus Reid Institute, a non-profit research foundation. A recent Angus Reid poll found that 46 percent of Canadians, including three out of five Liberal supporters, wanted Trudeau to resign. A growing number of Liberal members of parliament had also mounted public pressure for the prime minster’s resignation.
Additionally, Trudeau’s finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, resigned last month after a disagreement regarding how to handle Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on goods imported from Canada. Trump has said he wants to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports as soon as he returns to office.
Trudeau visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in late November where they discussed trade and the fentanyl crisis. Trump said the two leaders had an “excellent conversation,” but he insulted Trudeau by calling him the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada” in a Truth Social post following their dinner together.
“No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State,” Trump wrote on his social media platform a week after the meeting. “They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”
Trump echoed this sentiment in response to Trudeau’s resignation announcement.
“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” he 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. If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!
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