Trump Refers to Trudeau as “Governor” of “Great State of Canada”

On Tuesday, US President-elect Donald Trump made a slight dig at his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, by calling him the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada”. In an early morning social media post on Tuesday, Trump mentioned a dinner he had with Trudeau in late November at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Prime Minister Trudeau had traveled to meet Trump after the president-elect threatened to implement a comprehensive 25% tariff on Canadian products upon assuming office in January. In the post, Trump expressed his hope that they could “continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all”. Canada, with a population of 40 million, stands as one of America’s primary trading partners, directing approximately 75% of its total exports to the US. Both nations also possess highly integrated supply chains. Addressing the Halifax Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Trudeau stated that Canada would retaliate against the tariffs should the Trump administration proceed with the threat after Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. Trudeau indicated that Canada is still evaluating the “right” method of response, but he recalled the retaliatory tariffs Ottawa implemented when the initial Trump administration imposed levies on steel and aluminum. He stated, “Our responses to the unfair steel and aluminum tariffs were what ended up lifting those tariffs last time.” Ottawa had previously applied tariffs on both metals, in addition to more than 250 US products such as beer kegs, whiskey, and orange juice. These measures were intended to exert political pressure on the US and draw attention to the impact on cross-border trade. On Monday, Trudeau described these counter-measures as “carefully targeted” and “politically impactful to the president’s party and colleagues”. He explained that this enabled Canada – a nation significantly smaller economically than the US – to “punch back in a way that was actually felt by Americans”. The president-elect also threatened the comprehensive tariff against Mexico, contingent on the two nations securing their shared borders with the US. According to US Border Patrol data on migrant encounters, the volume of crossings at the US-Canada border is considerably less than that at the southern border, as is the quantity of fentanyl confiscated. Trudeau advised Canadians not to “freak out,” despite taking the potentially economically devastating tariff threat seriously. He noted that the president-elect’s strategy often involves attempting to “destabilise a negotiating partner”. Trudeau is scheduled to convene with the leaders of Canada’s provinces and territories for a second meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the strategy for upcoming negotiations with the US. The “governor” remark on Tuesday is not the initial instance of Trump teasing Canada. During the Mar-a-Lago dinner, Trump commented that Canada ought to become the 51st US state. Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc, who attended the dinner with Trudeau, clarified that this was “in no way a serious comment”. He informed reporters earlier this month, “The president was telling jokes, the president was teasing us.”