US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Canada “a nasty country to deal with,” amid the ongoing tariff war between the two countries, triggered by Trump’s tariff moves and reciprocated by Canada.
Trump also took aim at Justin Trudeau, Canada’s now-former prime minister who was succeeded by Mark Carney last week.
“One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada. Now, this was Trudeau — good old Justin. I call him ‘Governor Trudeau.’ His people were nasty and they weren’t telling the truth,” the Republican leader told Fox News host Laura Ingraham during an interview.
The American President, who began his second term in January, has repeatedly threatened to make Canada the “51st US state.” The Canadian government rebuffed his remarks.
When Ingraham suggested that Trump’s policies could benefit the Carney-led Liberal Party’s electoral prospects – Canada is to hold federal polls by October – the latter responded that it would be easier to work with the Liberals than the Conservatives, Canada’s main opposition party which has consistently led opinion polls.
“I don’t care. I think it’s easier to deal, actually, with a Liberal and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me at all,” he stated.
Conservative leader Poilievre ‘not my friend,’ says Trump
Trump further said that Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s leader of opposition, is “no friend of mine.”
“The Conservative that’s running is, stupidly, no friend of mine. I don’t know him, but he said negative things,” he said without naming Poilievre, who is running to be Canada’s prime minister.
The Liberals, who have been in power since Trudeau was elected PM in 2015, just weeks ago looked headed toward certain defeat to the Conservatives in the election, which must be held by October 20 but could happen earlier.
But they are mounting a major comeback after Trudeau stepped down and Carney, a former central banker, was elected by the Liberals as their leader. Several recent opinion polls have shown the Liberals closing the gap or even ahead of the Conservatives.
