And then, of course, there was Trump himself, who brought Trudeau’s weakened position into sharper focus by calling for Canada to become America’s “51st state” and mocking its PM as a small-time “governor”.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre left, takes a selfie with a person in a wheelchair during a visit to Penticton, British Columbia in 2018.Credit: AP
With the writing on the wall, Trudeau announced his decision to resign as Liberal party leader on Monday morning (local time) – hours before the US Congress was set to certify Trump’s victory – after deciding during the Christmas holiday break that the country needed to recalibrate.
Rather than call an election immediately, he will remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new leader is chosen, and parliament will be suspended until March 24 as the process gets underway.
“We are, right now, the longest serving minority government in history – and it’s time for a reset,” he said. “It’s time for the temperature to come down, for the people to have a fresh start in Parliament, and to be able to navigate through these complex times both domestically and internationally.”
Loading
“Removing me from the equation as the leader who will fight the next election for the Liberal Party should also decrease the level of polarisation that we’re seeing right now in the house and in Canadian politics, and allow people to actually focus on serving Canadians in this house and with their work – the way Canadians deserve.”
But will it?
An Ipsos poll, published in late December, found that the Liberals trail Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, by 25 percentage points.
To that end, whoever takes over from Trudeau faces an almost insurmountable climb to win the next election.
And even if they did, they would have the daunting task of navigating a testy relationship with the second Trump administration.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lifts his son Hadrien into the air following his speech in Halifax in 2018. Credit: AP
Trump’s protectionist tendencies could lead to the imposition of new tariffs on Canadian goods, as seen during his first term with aluminum and steel tariffs.
Trump is likely to favour Canadian foreign fuel exports, potentially revisiting the Keystone XL pipeline, which was cancelled by the Biden administration.
And it’s no secret that he’s deeply sceptical of NATO – of which Canada is a member – and wants a more hardline immigration stance on the northern border.
Trudeau’s resignation had long been seen as a foregone conclusion. The big question, however, is where it leaves Trudeau’s own party, and US-Canada relations in the era of Trump?
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.
