Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not mince words in his first public comments since the 25% U.S. tariffs on Canada took effect at midnight.
At a press conference today, he addressed President Donald Trump directly, calling him by his first name and saying, “Even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”
Trudeau pledged to “relentlessly fight” to defend Canada’s economy. He told the Canadian people, “This is a time to hit back hard and to demonstrate that a fight with Canada will have no winners.”
Canada has not yet specified which U.S. goods will face new tariffs, but in a statement last night, Trudeau announced that matching 25% tariffs will take effect immediately on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, with an additional $125 billion set to be imposed in 21 days.
Trudeau and Trump Enter War of Words
In one of his final acts as prime minister before his Liberal Party selects a new leader next week, Trudeau adopted a tone similar to Trump’s informal, combative style.
“Now I want to speak to one specific American: Donald. In the over eight years you and I have worked together, we’ve done big things. We signed a historic deal that’s created record jobs… and now we should be working together,” Trudeau said.
Trump responded swiftly on his social media platform, Truth Social, threatening additional tariffs in response to Canada’s retaliatory measures.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party, which is favored to win the next general election, said Trump has “stabbed America’s best friend in the back.” Once favored by Trump’s MAGA movement, Poilievre has since distanced himself from it amid the U.S. president’s attacks on Ottawa.
Trump Tariffs Are Unpopular at Home Too
Mexico also announced today that it will impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States this Sunday, signaling a full-blown trade war across North America.
Trump’s trade war with two of the largest U.S. trade partners is out of step with the desires of the American public. According to a CBS News poll, around 80% of Americans want the economy and inflation to be Trump’s priority, but only a around third see him as prioritizing them.
Most Americans see Trump as preoccupied with tariffs — which, most economists believe, will push inflation back higher just as consumer spending begins to weaken and the overall U.S. economy slows.
Even the conservative Wall Street Journal has criticized Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico, using sharp language in an editorial today: “We’ve courted Mr. Trump’s ire by calling the Mexico and Canada levies the ‘dumbest’ in history, and we may have understated the point.”
The Journal added, “Mr. Trump is whacking friends, not adversaries.”
Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta updated its economic forecast, projecting a -1.5% GDP growth rate for this quarter due to declining consumer spending and investment.
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