President-elect Donald Trump on Monday appeared to mock Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the latter warned that the tariffs Trump has threatened to impose on goods imported from Canada would hurt everyday Americans.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump referred to Trudeau as the governor “of the Great State of Canada.”
“I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all!” Trump wrote.
Last month, Trudeau visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago shortly after the U.S. president-elect threatened to levy a 25% tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as soon as he takes office, complaining that the two countries are not doing enough to stop the flow of migrants and fentanyl into the U.S.
During their meeting in Florida, Trump told Trudeau that if the proposed tariffs would have such a devastating impact on his country, Canada could become the 51st state and Trudeau could serve as its governor. Trudeau and his advisers laughed nervously at the apparent joke, according to Fox News.
Trump’s latest dig at the Canadian leader comes after Trudeau made an appearance before the Halifax Chamber of Commerce on Monday, where he warned that Trump’s tariff threat would also hurt American consumers.
“First of all, let’s not kid ourselves, 25% tariffs on everything going to the United States would be devastating for the Canadian economy,” Trudeau said.
“They would also, however, mean real hardship for Americans as well,” he added.
Trudeau noted that the U.S. imports the majority of its crude oil from Canada and also relies on the neighboring country for steel and aluminum, among other things.
The Canadian leader suggested that the tariffs Trump has proposed would undercut the U.S. president-elect’s pledge to make life more affordable for the U.S. public.
“I think people south of the border are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive for Americans,” Trudeau said.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press” broadcast Sunday, though, Trump claimed tariffs would “cost Americans nothing,” contradicting economists’ predictions that such a move would likely worsen inflation.
Trudeau added that Canada would respond to potential tariffs from the U.S. and the country is currently exploring all options on the table.
The Canadian leader said that while it’s important to take Trump’s threat seriously, Canadians shouldn’t panic.
“We know that when [Trump] says these things he means them but at the same time we also know that his approach will often be to challenge people to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well-established hallways of democracies and institutions,” Trudeau said.
Democracy In The Balance
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Meanwhile, Trump is showing no signs of backing down from his threats.
“I’m a big believer in tariffs,” he told NBC’s Kristen Welker. “I think tariffs are the most beautiful word. I think they’re beautiful. It’s going to make us rich.”