Canada’s government is melting down at the worst possible moment.
And he has taken to mocking embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the “governor” of the “great state ofCanada” in middle-of-the-night social media posts that officials here have sought to cast as lighthearted ribbing but others view as not-so-neighborly and not-so-funny. On Christmas, he said he’d pitched hockey great Wayne Gretzky on becoming Canada’s next prime minister.
Now, weeks before Trump’s return, Trudeau is dealing with the bombshell resignation from cabinet of Chrystia Freeland, long one of his most loyal and powerful lieutenants.
Trudeau and his Liberal Party were already struggling in polls. Freeland’s abrupt announcement — even some friends were taken by surprise — has thrown his government into disarray. Adversaries and some erstwhile allies have intensified calls that he step down; rival parties say they will move a confidence vote when Parliament returns in January, which could trigger elections.
Freeland, who was finance minister and deputy prime minister, said she and Trudeau had been at odds on how to counter Trump. Now, Ottawa is likely to be weakened and distracted as it squares off against its largest trading partner in a potential trade war.
“This is really a hot mess,” said Daniel Béland, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada at McGill University.
The timing “couldn’t be worse,” said Scott Reid, a former director of communications for Liberal former prime minister Paul Martin.
“Donald Trump smells weakness the way a shark smells blood, and everyone knows it,” he said. “No matter what option the prime minister chooses, no matter what path the country ends up following, Trump is going to perceive us as in a weakened position and therefore less able to exert leverage in the face of his demands.”
The president-elect noted Freeland’s resignation.
“Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the unhappy citizens of Canada,” he crowed on his Truth Social platform. “She will not be missed!!!”
Not everyone here agrees.
Freeland earned plaudits for her work as foreign minister in steering Canada thorough the bruising renegotiation of NAFTA during Trump’s first administration, including from then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer.
People who worked on the renegotiation called her Canada’s quarterback. She drew praise for her mastery of details, for standing her ground and keeping cool even as Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
“Like a football team or a hockey team, everybody has to play their positions to win,” said Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. “But all the plays came through her.”
