(The Hill) – President-elect Trump mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”
“It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “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! DJT.”
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The post comes as Trump has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico and increase tariffs on China.
Trudeau hit Trump for his tariff threats Monday at an event held by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, saying that Americans “are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive,” The Associated Press reported.
The Canadian prime minster, who said he will retaliate if the U.S. imposes such tariffs, added that working with the president-elect will be “a little more challenging” because Trump’s team’s ideas for what they want to start with are clearer than when he was elected in 2016, per the AP.
Though, the two talked on the phone last month, which Trudeau described as a “good call” following Trump’s pledge to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. The prime minister also visited him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida earlier this month — a meeting they both touted as “productive.”
Donald Trump says tariffs will not hurt Americans’ pockets
Trump during an interview Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press” said he could not guarantee whether Americans would pay more because of the tariffs he has vowed to impose on imported goods.
Economists have warned of the impact that tariffs on Canada and Mexico — two of America’s top allies — as well as China would have, though Trump brushed it off in the interview.
“I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow. But I can say that if you look at my — just pre-COVID, we had the greatest economy in the history of our country,” Trump said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
