President-elect Donald Trump has shifted his attention from Congress’s spending plans to criticize Canada and its Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

Trump’s provocative statements directed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made headlines this week, eliciting responses from both sides of the frontier.

Trump suggested on his platform, Truth Social, that Canadians may prefer their country to become the 51st state of the United States. He claimed that they would receive substantial benefits from reduced taxation and military protection.

He even addressed Justin Trudeau as “Governor,” a statement that has undoubtedly caused controversy in Canada. Many Canadian officials expressed their indignation in a prompt manner.

“We are Canadians first,” remarked a Canadian commentator, discounting Trump’s remarks as misguided.

The tension intensified after a surprise Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago, during which Trump initially proposed that Canada could circumvent tariffs by becoming the 51st state to join the United States.

Trump has since expressed his apprehension regarding border security and has threatened to impose a substantial 25% tariff on all Canadian products.

It is important to acknowledge that the statistics provide a different perspective. The Canadian border has experienced a fraction of the number of arrests in comparison to the southern border of the United States with Mexico.

US Canada Ties

The economic relationship between the United States and Canada is substantial, with an exchange of products valued at approximately $2.7 billion on a daily basis.

Nevertheless, the notion of becoming the 51st state is profoundly offensive to many Canadians, despite the fact that Trump’s allies in Washington D.C. have characterized his remarks as humorous.

Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, downplayed any indication of tensions between the two countries. Hillman stated, “I believe that the president-elect is enjoying himself.” “Canada is capable of accommodating it.” You are aware that we possess a robust sense of self and are capable of communicating it.

“The United States is like family,” she stated to Politico.

The president-elect is well-known to Hillman. She played a critical role in the negotiation of Canada’s portion of the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement during his most recent administration. Additionally, she traveled to Mar-a-Lago with Trudeau for the diplomatic dinner just a few weeks ago.

Canada is considering retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s threats. It is crucial to bear in mind that a significant fraction of the energy imports of the United States are sourced from Canada.

Specifically, approximately 60% of crude oil and 85% of electricity are sourced from our northern neighbor.

The consequences of Trump’s remarks on U.S.-Canada relations are far from clear as the situation continues to develop.

Navigating these tensions and preserving a robust economic partnership will require the ongoing dialogue between the two nations.

Support for Trudeau Diminishing

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing increasing pressure to resign, as an increasing number of Liberal MPs have joined the call for his resignation in response to the tumultuous week that has befallen his party.

Global News reported that over half of the 75 Liberal MPs from Ontario convened for a one-hour meeting on Saturday to discuss the leadership of their party.

At the caucus meeting, only a small number of MPs expressed their support for Trudeau’s continued leadership. However, a significant number of them expressed their desire for him to step down, stating that his brand has become “toxic.”

Chandra Arya, who represents the Ottawa constituency of Nepean, was among the attendees at the meeting on Saturday.

Arya published a letter he wrote to Trudeau on Friday, in which he requested that he “step aside as leader of the Liberal caucus immediately.”

Arya wrote in the letter dated Dec. 20 and shared on X, “I have consistently supported you since last summer, even when some of our colleagues called for your resignation, while I align as a fiscally-center-right Liberal and have often disagreed with your left-leaning positions.”

“However, it was evident today that the House of Commons no longer has faith in you.” I am now reasonably certain that the Liberal caucus’s majority no longer endorses your leadership.

Arya did not disclose the events of Saturday’s meeting during an interview with Global News on Sunday; however, he stated that it verified the information he had previously written in his letter.

He stated that the number of Liberal MPs who have joined calls for Trudeau to step down has “begun to increase” over the past 48 to 72 hours.

“I believe that the prime minister is seriously considering,” Arya stated.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a backlash for claiming to be a feminist after firing Chrystia Freeland as Finance Minister and replacing her with Dominic Leblanc on Tuesday.

Justin Trudeau has positioned himself as a feminist leader, a central element of his political identity. In 2015, Canada made history by appointing its first gender-equal cabinet, a significant step in the ongoing effort to champion women’s rights policies.

Trudeau aimed to solidify his reputation as a pioneer in the fight for gender equality. Recent accusations of “phoney feminism” have sparked a heated debate regarding the consistency between his statements and his actions.

Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from the cabinet has sparked criticism directed at Prime Minister Trudeau, raising questions about his approach to women in leadership roles.

Chrystia Freeland, previously regarded as one of Prime Minister Trudeau’s closest allies, has officially resigned from her position as Finance Minister. In her resignation letter, she notably omitted any reference to gender issues.

Freeland’s departure mirrors Trudeau’s removal of several high-profile women;

• Jody Wilson-Raybould, former Attorney General, was removed in 2019 after the SNC-Lavalin controversy.
• Jane Philpott, then President of the Treasury Board, was also ousted following her support for Wilson-Raybould.
• Celina Caesar-Chavannes, a Liberal MP, left politics after claiming Trudeau didn’t handle internal disagreements well.

These firings have fuelled debates about his handling of women in leadership positions and made a mockery of his claims of being a feminist.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Trudeau for the optics of replacing Freeland with a male cabinet member, calling it evidence of Trudeau’s “fake feminism.”

“Just blame Chrystia Freeland and make her wear it all. Some feminist,” Poilievre said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The same week as Trudeau was insulting Americans for not electing a woman president, he was busy throwing his own woman deputy prime minister under the bus to replace her with a man, Poilievre commented.

Prominent Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner asked how any woman in that caucus could “defend that man instead of calling for an election now,” while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Trudeau needed to start proving himself if he was going to keep declaring himself “to be such a supporter of women.”

MP Melissa Lantsman referred to an “old boys’ club” being in charge.

“It’s time for credible leadership in the seriousness of this moment, not the fake feminism of this phoney prime minister,” said Lantsman, who represents the Conservatives in the Thornhill riding.

Former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes said she believes there is a pattern of female cabinet ministers who were “thrown under the bus” after “challenging someone whose name is Trudeau.”

Trudeau Defended

However, while Freeland’s resignation has sparked accusations of sexism, political experts suggest that focusing solely on gender may oversimplify the issue.

Freeland, an accomplished politician and the country’s first female Finance Minister left primarily due to policy disagreements. Her decision was less about being a powerful woman and more about divergent views on leadership and economic strategy.

Political scientist Dr. Melanee Thomas remarked that qualified women in politics often face frustrations when their expertise is dismissed.

She cautioned against reducing complex political dynamics to gender alone. By framing Freeland’s resignation solely as evidence of sexism, the broader challenges faced by all leaders in Trudeau’s cabinets—men and women alike—are overlooked.

Trudeau has remained relatively quiet, stating that Freeland’s departure was not an “easy day” for him.

Unlike previous controversies, he has not publicly defended his feminist credentials since Freeland’s resignation, leaving a vacuum for critics to dominate the narrative.

Over the years, Trudeau has said that “adding women changes politics,” presenting himself as an ally for feminist causes. His silence now begs the question: does he believe his track record speaks for itself, or is he struggling to respond to the growing skepticism?