Trudeau hinted that the global right wing social media ecosystem contributed to his political downfall
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“Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian,” said Trudeau. “One of the ways we define ourself most easily is, well, we’re not American.”
Trudeau was quick to brush off Trump’s expansionist rhetoric as a mere negotiating tactic.
“What I think is happening is President Trump, who’s a very skillful negotiator, is getting people to be somewhat distracted… to take away from the conversation around 25 per cent tariffs,” Trudeau told Tapper.
“Everything Americans buy from Canada is suddenly going to get a lot more expensive if he moves forward on these tariffs,” warned Trudeau.
Trudeau added that trading with Canada was the best option for the U.S. if it wanted to minimize its exposure to hostile geopolitical foes.
“We should be focused on making sure that we’re replacing Chinese lithium, or Chinese germanium, into American productions by relying on your closest and friendliest trading partner in Canada.”
“When you get an… intersection of both right wing attacks and social media, you end up with a lot of misinformation (and) disinformation,” said Trudeau, in an attempt to explain why his government’s flagship policies hadn’t helped his low approval rating. “Responsible governments have to stay focused on the policies that are making a difference.”
Trudeau also took a moment to defend his accomplishments over his near-decade as prime minister.
“We delivered $10 a day child care. We’re delivering a dental program that provides free dental care to people who don’t have coverage,” Trudeau told Tapper when asked about his declining popularity.
“These are policies that… will have a deep impact on the well-being of Canadians and of our country for years to come.”
Trudeau was in Washington, D.C. for the memorial of former president Jimmy Carter, who served at the same time as his father Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
“President Carter was a dear friend of my father’s,” Trudeau told Tapper. “He was always an inspiration to me in terms of compassionate, selfless leadership.”
National Post
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