Justin Trudeau stepping down as party leader
Donald Trump posted this image after trolling Justin Trudeau about Canada’s becoming an American state with Trudeau serving as its governor. (Truth Social)
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, announced that he will be stepping down as the Liberal Party’s leader. He will remain as Prime Minister until a new Prime Minister is chosen. Current polling shows that the Liberal Party is set to lose to the Conservative Party, headed by Pierre Poilievre. He is seen as a firebrand. It appears that Donald Trump’s comments about imposing a 25% tariff on goods coming in from Canada increased the challenges that Trudeau faced.
From CNN:
Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, was facing a mounting set of crises, from Donald Trump’s tariff threats to the resignation of key allies and disastrous opinion polls. His resignation would be seen as the PM choosing to jump before he is pushed, ahead of a general election to be held later this year that he is widely expected to lose.
The move would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader before the general election, where polls show it is set to badly lose to the opposition Conservative Party, led by the firebrand Pierre Poilievre. The election must be held on or before October 20, but could be brought forward.
The Liberal Party national executive, which controls leadership issues, is scheduled to meet this week, likely after the caucus.
Trudeau’s government was rocked by the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland — just hours before she was due to deliver her annual fiscal update.
In a blistering letter of resignation, she criticized Trudeau’s “political gimmicks,” likely referring to a two-month sales tax holiday and 250 Canadian dollar ($175) rebates for most workers.
Freeland said Canada could “ill afford” these policies, seen as a pre-election handout to claw back some voters, and coming as the country faces the serious prospect of huge tariffs which could be levied by the incoming Trump administration.
Additional Reading:
Park, H., & Edwards, C. (2025, January 6). Canadian PM Trudeau set to resign as party leader as polls plummet, source says. CNN. Link.
