A private jest turned into headlines after US President-elect Donald Trump mistakenly referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the “Governor of Canada” in a post on Truth Social. The comment was made following a dinner in recent days over contentious issues ranging from trade tariffs to border security.
In his post, Trump had written, “It was my pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada,” and looked forward to continuing discussions on tariffs and trade. He said the outcomes would be “truly spectacular for all.”
Earlier, on 25 November, Trump had proposed a 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico since both countries were not doing their job to stem the flows of migrants and drugs into the U.S. Trudeau followed this with a visit to Florida just after, in an apparent attempt to dissuade Trump from the proposed tariffs at Mar-a-Lago.
During dinner, according to sources, Trump explained that his tariff proposal is necessary for border security and trade deficits, while Trudeau warned that such measures would hurt the Canadian economy severely.
The dinner was said to include light joking, with Trump jokingly suggesting that maybe Canada could become the 51st state of the U.S., a comment that apparently made Trudeau laugh nervously. Sources said Trump and his team joked about how Canada could divide into two states-one conservative and one liberal-before joining the U.S.
Trump, who was described as “cordial but direct,” blamed Trudeau for failing to adequately secure the border and contributing to a trade deficit he said exceeded $100 billion. He threatened that unless Canada could work out a solution, tariffs would be imposed. Trudeau replied that such a move would have a disastrous effect on the Canadian economy, prompting Trump to reply, “So your country can’t survive unless it’s ripping off the U.S. to the tune of $100 billion?
In response to Trump’s threats, Trudeau said Canada is ready to defend itself and would counter U.S. tariffs with retaliatory measures against American tariffs. He noted that more and more Americans realize tariffs on Canadian goods would greatly raise prices on many products they purchase.
Trump himself alluded to that possibility in a recent interview with NBC News, where he conceded that he cannot rule out the possibility of higher costs for American consumers from his proposed tariffs. Retaliation against what they view as unfair tariffs is on the table as Trudeau’s government considers its response.
Trump’s tariff proposal has been met with criticism, including from President Joe Biden, who called it “counterproductive” and warned it could damage U.S. relations with both Canada and Mexico.
