BURSTPresident-elect Trump labeled Canada’s former finance minister Chrystia Freeland's behavior as “totally toxic” and argued it is detrimental to the country's dealmaking with the U.S. shortly following her resignation from the post.
“The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau,” Trump wrote in a Monday night post on Truth Social while mocking, again, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor.”
“Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada,” he added. “She will not be missed!!!”
Freeland submitted her resignation letter to Trudeau on Monday. In it, she mentioned Trump’s tariff threat to Canada as part of the reason, cautioning that Canada needs to “take that threat extremely seriously” and push back against the “‘America First’ economic nationalism.”
“Our country today faces a grave challenge,” Freeland said in a letter. “The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 per cent tariffs.”
“We need to take that threat extremely seriously,” she wrote. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.”
Trump said last month that he would impose 25 percent tariffs on goods coming in from Mexico and Canada. He also said would slap a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods. The president-elect said it was to put pressure on the country's largest trading partners, and intensify efforts to combat fentanyl smuggling and bolster border security.
“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!” Trump said.
Freeland's resignation comes as the prime minister’s approval rating has dropped significantly with concerns about immigration and inflation. Trudeau named Dominic LeBlanc, a close ally, as Freeland's replacement.