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Amid tariff threats, Canada’s Trudeau makes surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago

November 30, 2024 | | Print Article

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Florida and dined with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago this Friday, becoming the first foreign G7 leader to visit with him since the election.

The dinner lasted about three hours, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. Topics reportedly included trade, border security, fentanyl, defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, pipelines, and the Group of Seven meeting scheduled to occur in Canada next year.

Trudeau can be spotted sitting next to the president-elect below:

The photo was snapped about five hours after Trudeau arrived in town.

Look:

The abrupt visit to Florida came days after Trump threatened to impose massive tariffs on Canada and Mexico unless they stop the flow of criminal aliens across their respective borders.

“As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before,” he wrote in a Truth Social post. “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders.”

“This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” he added.

In response to the threat, Trudeau held a press conference in which he acknowledged the threat while also arguing against tariffs.

“One of the things that is really important to understand is that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out,” he said. “There’s no question about it.”

“Our responsibility is to point out that, in this way, he would be actually not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, he’d actually be raising prices for American citizens as well and hurting American industry and businesses,” he added.

Listen:

Meanwhile, Trudeau’s administration has begun doing what it needs to do to actually secure the border.

“Mr. [Dominic ] LeBlanc, the Canadian public safety minister, was given the task of drafting tougher border measures,” according to The New York Times. “He said this week that he was preparing to deploy additional staff, as well as drones and helicopters if needed, to better manage the border between the two countries.”

The Times further notes that Trump’s tariffs threat is likely the “opening salvo” for a possible renegotiation of the United States, Mexico, Canada (USMCA) trade agreement.

That being said, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has reportedly suggested that Trudeau should ditch Mexico and renegotiate an entirely new deal with Trump.

“To compare us to Mexico is the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard from our friends and closest allies, the United States of America,” he reportedly said earlier in the week, adding that Trump’s portrayal of Canada was “like a family member stabbing you right in the heart.”

Trump’s fiercest supporters say the fact that Trudeau eventually decided to drop everything and hop on a flight to Mar-a-Lago speaks volumes.

Vivek Saxena
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