US President Donald Trump has taken a direct jab at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau amid growing tensions over controversial tariffs, even going so far as to give him a new nickname.
It has been quite a week for the president.
Following his high-profile clash with President Zelenskyy, his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, his ban on gender transitions for individuals under 19, and his move to end birthright citizenship, Trump’s latest tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico have added fuel to the fire.
Now, at 78 years old, the Republican leader has once again taken aim at a North American ally.
As of February 4, all Canadian imports face a 25 percent tariff, while Canadian energy products are subject to a 10 percent tariff under Trump’s latest executive order.
When first announcing the move, the White House stated that Trump was “taking bold action to hold [the three countries] accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.”
In response, Trudeau retaliated by announcing a 25 percent tariff on US imports.
While the escalating trade dispute between the two leaders remained relatively diplomatic at first, Trump turned to his Truth Social platform to make things more personal.
This is where he appeared to take a dig at Trudeau’s status, referring to him as “Governor Trudeau” rather than Prime Minister.
Trump wrote: “Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a retaliatory tariff on the U.S., our reciprocal tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!”
Many saw this as a deliberate attempt to undermine Trudeau’s position as Canada’s leader.
Trudeau has been vocal about his opposition to the tariffs, previously stating, as reported by AP News: “Today, the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend.
“At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense.”
Directly addressing Trump, he continued: “I want to speak directly to one specific American, Donald. It’s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”
He added: “There is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today.”
Trudeau then accused Trump of attempting to orchestrate “a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us.”
Meanwhile, China, which has also been hit with 20 percent tariffs on imports, responded with a strong warning.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated: “China opposes this move and will do what is necessary to firmly safeguard its legitimate interests.”
“If the United States … persists in waging a tariff war, a trade war, or any other kind of war, the Chinese side will fight them to the bitter end.”
China’s finance ministry added: “The US’ unilateral tariff increase damages the multilateral trading system, increases the burden on US companies and consumers, and undermines the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the US.”