Justin Trudeau was reduced to tears at a press conference on Thursday night, after reports of a profanity-laden phone call with Donald Trump.
The Canadian prime minister welled up in what was one of his last public appearances as leader, as he urged the nation to “stand up against the trading partner that is much bigger than us”. Following a week of warring with the US president over tariffs, the two leaders spoke for 50 minutes on Wednesday, in a call that Mr Trudeau described as “colourful”. In fact, it appears that Mr Trump used profane language multiple times while berating Mr Trudeau in what was described by the Wall Street Journal as a “heated” exchange. Mr Trump has spent months mocking the Canadian prime minister, calling him “Governor Trudeau” and vowing to make the country America’s “51st state”. Mr Trudeau said: “We want to continue to be strong and resolute in our response and we will continue to be there for each other because the unity that Canadians are feeling right now is actually the most important thing in being able to stand up against the trading partner that is much bigger than us. “We are in a moment right now where Canada has a very, very strong bargaining position, because Canadians are so united and unequivocal about standing up for our country, standing up for our fellow citizens, and being very, very firm that this is an absolutely unjustified and unjustifiable trade war launched by the Americans, and that is what we’re going to continue.” Tensions between the two countries reached breaking point on Tuesday when Mr Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, plunging them into a full-blown trade war. Mr Trump has since rolled back the taxes on certain manufacturers, including car makers.
Mr Trudeau, who will officially give way to a new Liberal leader on Sunday, also cried when he announced his decision to step down in January. Reflecting on 10 years in office in a press conference in Ottawa, Mr Trudeau said he had worked “every single day” to “put Canadians first”. He said: “I have peoples’ backs and that’s why I’m here to tell you all that we got you, even in the last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down today and well into the future.” The Canadian prime minister first became emotional when announcing one of his government’s last policies on childcare. Mr Trudeau said: “Childcare is a matter of fairness. It strengthens our economy, makes it more resilient, and that’s never been as important as it is right now.” His emotions also welled up as he reflected on events during his time in office. He said: “I’ve had 10 years of Donald Trump, a historic once-in-a-century pandemic, inflation crises, war in Ukraine as Russia returns to war in Europe, as the Middle East is facing extraordinarily difficult situations. “These have been complicated times. This is the job I signed up for. This is the job I will continue to do until the very last moment I’m doing this job.” ‘Honour of my life’ In response to being asked about getting emotional, he said: “This has been the honour of my life serving Canadians.” With tears in his eyes, he went on to say he was looking forward to a “transition to my duly elected successor in the coming days or week”. Wednesday’s call between Mr Trump and Mr Trudeau ended in a “somewhat” friendly manner, according to the Wall Street Journal, though the US president has continued to mock his Canadian counterpart on Truth Social.
The Canadian election will then take place later this year, with a deadline set for Oct 20. Mr Trudeau has spent his final weeks in office fighting back against US plans to impose tariffs on Canadian goods, describing the decision as “dumb”. He said: “This is a time to hit back hard and to demonstrate that a fight with Canada will have no winners.” Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
