Trudeau ridicules Trump’s intelligence, uses “dumb”…
THE PRIME MINISTER…
On March 4, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for imposing a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports, effective that Tuesday, calling it a “very dumb thing to do” during a heated press conference. Trudeau accused the U.S. of initiating a trade war against Canada, its closest ally, emphasizing the economic fallout that would harm both nations. He directly addressed Trump, sarcastically referencing his intelligence while aligning with the Wall Street Journal’s view that the tariffs were ill-advised, escalating tensions between the two leaders amid an already strained relationship.
In response, Trudeau announced immediate retaliatory measures, imposing 25 percent tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods starting that day, with plans to extend this to $155 billion within three weeks unless the U.S. reverses its policy. He defended Canada’s efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking—a key justification Trump cited for the tariffs—claiming a 97 percent drop in U.S. seizures of the drug from Canada between December 2024 and January 2025, reducing it to just 0.03 pounds. Trudeau argued that Canada was not the source of America’s drug problems and warned of further non-tariff measures if the U.S. persisted, signaling a readiness to escalate the conflict.
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The tariffs stem from Trump’s long-standing defense of such measures as a “powerful weapon” to boost U.S. manufacturing, though American businesses reliant on Canadian imports warn of rising costs that will likely be passed onto consumers. Trudeau appealed directly to the American public, highlighting the shared economic pain and urging reconsideration of Trump’s decision. This trade dispute, rooted in disagreements over drugs, border security, and economic policy, threatens to disrupt decades of close U.S.-Canada relations, with global markets already reacting as stock indices like the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq dropped sharply on March 4, 2025.