President Donald Trump has taken the gloves off when it comes to the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and bestowed him a new nickname.
What a week it has been for the president.
Right off the back of the highly-televised heated row with President Zelenskyy, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, banning gender transitions for people under 19, and ending birthright citizenship, the new tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico have caused a stir.
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And now, the 78-year-old Republican is back with another hit against its North American neighbour.
As of this week (4 February), any imports from Canada are taxed at 25 percent, and Canadian energy products are tariffed at 10 percent as part of the latest executive order.
When he first announced his tariffs plan, the White House said Trump was 'taking bold action to hold [the three countries] accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country'.
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In response to this, Trudeau announced Canada will retaliate by hitting US imports with a 25 percent tariff.
While the tit for tat game the pair are playing is getting risky, they kept it civil… until Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
This is where he bestowed the PM with a new nickname, which many think is a jab at his position.
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Trump wrote: "Please explain to Governor Trudeau, of Canada, that when he puts on a retaliatory tariff on the U.S., our reciprocal tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!"
Calling him Governor instead of Prime Minister appears to have been a way to undermine his position as the country’s leader.
Previously, Trudeau has shared what he thinks of the tariffs, stating as per AP News: “Today, the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend.
"At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense."
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“I want to speak directly to one specific American, Donald,” Trudeau continued. “It’s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.”
He went on to add: "There is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today.”
He then accused Trump of orchestrating ‘a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us’.
As for China, who also saw 20 percent tariffs on imports, responded to Trump with an alarming threat.
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"China opposes this move and will do what is necessary to firmly safeguard its legitimate interests," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said.
"If the United States … persists in waging a tariff war, a trade war, or any other kind of war, the Chinese side will fight them to the bitter end."
China’s finance ministry added: "The US' unilateral tariff increase damages the multilateral trading system, increases the burden on US companies and consumers, and undermines the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the US."
Topics: US News, Politics, Donald Trump
Britt Jones