In the immediate aftermath of Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from her position as Canadian Finance Minister, President-elect Trump characterized her conduct as “totally toxic” and contended that it was detrimental to the country’s negotiations with the United States.
“The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau. 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!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
On Monday, Freeland submitted her resignation letter to Trudeau.
She cited Trump’s tariff threat to Canada as a contributing factor, emphasizing that her nation must treat the threat with the utmost gravity.
“Our country today faces a grave challenge. The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 per cent tariffs.” Freeland wrote in her resignation letter.
“We need to take that threat extremely seriously. 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.” she concluded.
Last month, Trump declared that he would implement tariffs of 25% on products imported from Canada and Mexico.
Additionally, he declared that a ten percent tariff would be imposed on Chinese products.
The president-elect stated that the purpose of the action was to increase pressure on the country’s largest trading partners, as well as to enhance border security and combat fentanyl smuggling.
The resignation of Freeland coincides with a substantial decline in the prime minister’s approval rating, which is attributed to concerns regarding inflation and immigration. Dominic LeBlanc, a close ally of Trudeau, was appointed as Freeland’s successor.
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