Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in serious political jeopardy after the resignation of his top deputy, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Once seen as a rising star of the Left, Trudeau now appears to be battling for survival.
The shocking news resonated across Canada’s border with America, as President Donald Trump celebrated the development in a social media post.
Trump has made no secret of his dislike for Freeland.
Freeland renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the first Trump administration.
“The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau,” Trump mockingly wrote.
“Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada.
“She will not be missed!!!”
In her resignation letter, Freeland criticized Trudeau’s response to Trump’s “extremely serious” threats to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports.
In response to the tariff threat, Trudeau scrambled to Mar-A-Lago last month to grovel to Trump and take a picture with him.
Freeland criticized Trudeau for responding to Trump’s threats with “costly political gimmicks” like a tax holiday to help Canadians deal with inflation.
She said Canada must keep its “fiscal powder dry” for a protracted trade war with the United States.
“For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” Freeland wrote.
“Our country is facing a grave challenge,” Freeland said in her letter.
“That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war.”
Trudeau has replaced Freeland with Dominic LeBlanc, a close ally who joined Trudeau for dinner with Trump at Mar-A-Lago last month.
Freeland’s resignation is a shocking blow to Trudeau, who had long counted her as one of his closest supporters.
But the prime minister’s political star has dimmed as Canadians simmer over a housing crisis worsened by high immigration rates.
The crisis has challenged Trudeau’s image as an immigrant-friendly liberal, as even he has admitted Canada needs to tighten its borders.
But the about-face may be coming too late.
Many are seeing Freeland’s resignation as a bad omen for Trudeau and his tenuous hold on power.
Trump has belittled Trudeau’s embattled position, recently labeling him the governor of the 51st American state.
If Trudeau is not forced to resign soon, he is facing a widely anticipated shellacking in an election next year.
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