US President Donald Trump criticised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after a phone call on trade tariffs, accusing him of leveraging the issue to maintain his political position. Trump shared details of the conversation on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“He (Trudeau) 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 raised concerns over fentanyl smuggling, claiming that the synthetic opioid continues to enter the United States via Canada and Mexico. He said their discussion ended on a “somewhat” cordial note.
“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! 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. Good luck Justin!” Trump posted.
Trump further blamed Trudeau’s “weak border policies” for the influx of fentanyl and illegal migrants into the US.
“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!” he added.
The remarks came after Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico took effect on Tuesday, with China also facing increased duties of 20 per cent, according to CNN. In response, Canada and China imposed retaliatory tariffs on American goods, raising concerns of a potential trade war.
However, on Wednesday, Trump granted a temporary one-month exemption on auto tariffs for Mexico and Canada, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed, as reported by CNN.
