Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that his government is preparing for the “uncertainty” that former President Trump's hypothetical second term would bring to Canada's alliance with the United States.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet met at a retreat in Montreal to discuss and prepare a strategy for Trump's return to office in the 2024 presidential election.
Prime Minister Trudeau said that while President Trump has “demonstrated uncertainty,” his administration was able to navigate his first term by demonstrating the mutual economic benefits of a strong U.S.-Canada alliance. Stated.
“I don't know exactly what he's going to do,” Trudeau said. “Seven years ago, we stood up for the fact that Canada and the United States are best when we work together, and we have navigated the challenges that the Trump administration represented over four years.”
At the retreat, the Canadian Cabinet received briefings from Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the United States, and a panel of experts. Flavio Volpe, president of the Canadian Automotive Parts Industries Association, also joined in the discussion.
Relations between the United States and Canada deteriorated under the Trump administration, particularly over President Trump's isolationist trade policies, including new tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada. President Trump also criticized Prime Minister Trudeau as “weak” and “dishonest” during his tenure.
Prime Minister Trudeau refrained from directly criticizing President Trump for most of his term, but tensions between the two countries escalated after Trudeau criticized President Trump's role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The relationship reached a breaking point.
“What we witnessed was an attack on our democracy by a violent mob incited by our current president and other politicians,” Prime Minister Trudeau said after the attack on the Capitol.
Canadians are concerned about the future of democracy in the United States, according to recent polls. Nearly two-thirds said they were concerned that democracy would not survive another term under President Trump. Nearly 50% agreed with the statement that the United States is “on the path to becoming an authoritarian state.”
Trudeau's remarks came as the 2024 presidential election season gets into full swing with New Hampshire's primary election taking place on Tuesday.
According to The Hill/Decision Desk's Republican New Hampshire primary poll average, Trump leads former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley by 13.9 points, with approval rating at 50.8% and Haley's lead. This was followed by 36.9%. Nationally, Trump led by 56 points, with 68% approval rating and Haley's 12%.
The Associated Press contributed.
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