Trump and Trudeau clash over trade and borders
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A heated exchange between former President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau escalated tensions between the two nations on Wednesday, with Trump suggesting Trudeau was exploiting tariff disputes to maintain his political position.
In a provocative social media post, Trump referred to Trudeau as “Governor,” reinforcing his stance that Canada would benefit from becoming America’s 51st state. He criticized Trudeau’s border policies, claiming they enabled drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the United States.
Trump shared details of their recent phone conversation on Truth Social: “Justin Trudeau, of Canada, called me to ask what could be done about Tariffs. I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped.”
Trudeau calls out Trump directly, even quoting the Wall Street Journal to drive the point home: this trade war is a dumb move, and the only ones celebrating are America’s adversaries. pic.twitter.com/jxO0etVyYg
— The Vivlia (@TVivlia) March 4, 2025
The conversation reportedly ended on relatively amicable terms, though Trump expressed skepticism about Trudeau’s inability to specify the date of Canada’s upcoming election. “I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power. Good luck Justin!” Trump wrote.
Recent developments have seen Trudeau announce his impending departure as prime minister and Liberal Party leader, with his successor to be named Sunday. While he won’t seek reelection to Parliament, his Liberal Party has experienced a remarkable recovery in polls, narrowing the Conservative Party’s lead from 26 points to just three points according to Angus Reid polling.
The dispute intensified after Trudeau criticized Trump’s tariff policy at a press conference, saying, “Even though you are a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”
🚨Trump update on tariffs: pic.twitter.com/qo107mQLOQ
— Noé Chartier (@NChartierET) March 5, 2025
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s position on Canadian statehood, suggesting Canadians would benefit from lower taxes and avoid tariffs as part of the United States.
The implementation of America’s 25% tariffs on Canadian goods prompted Trudeau to announce matching retaliatory measures on $155 billion worth of American products. “Today, the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, and their closest friend. At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying murderous dictator. Make that make sense,” Trudeau declared.
The impact was immediate, with Canadian retailers removing American whiskey from shelves following Trudeau’s call to “buy Canadian instead.” Meanwhile, Mexico and China have also responded with their own retaliatory measures, with Mexico planning to announce tariffs this Sunday and China implementing up to 15% tariffs on American agricultural exports.
