In a fresh escalation of tensions, US President Donald Trump accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of using ongoing trade issues to cling to power. Trump made the remarks following a telephonic conversation with Trudeau regarding tariffs and the fentanyl crisis, sharing details of their discussion on the social media platform Truth Social.
Trump claimed Trudeau was unable to confirm when the next Canadian election would take place, which raised suspicions. “He was unable to tell me when the Canadian election is taking place, which made me curious, like, what’s going on here? I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power,” Trump wrote.
The US President also expressed grave concerns over the smuggling of fentanyl, which he alleged has been coming through the borders of Canada and Mexico. He asserted that nothing in their conversation convinced him that the flow of the deadly drug had been stopped. “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. He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, ‘That’s not good enough.’ The call ended in a ‘somewhat’ friendly manner!” Trump stated.
Furthermore, Trump blamed Trudeau’s “weak border policies” for the influx of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the United States. “For anyone who is interested, I also told Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada that he largely caused the problems we have with them because of his weak border policies, which allowed tremendous amounts of fentanyl and illegal aliens to pour into the United States. These policies are responsible for the death of many people!” Trump added.
The dispute comes on the heels of Trump’s 25% blanket tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which went into effect on Tuesday. The tariffs, along with a doubling of duties on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%, have sparked immediate retaliation from both Canada and China, raising fears of a damaging global trade war, CNN reported.
In a slight easing of tensions, the White House confirmed on Wednesday that Trump had granted a one-month exemption on auto tariffs for Mexico and Canada. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the temporary reprieve, as reported by CNN, though uncertainty around the broader trade conflict remains high.
