Trudeau: Trump tariffs on Canada ‘dumb’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed President Trump’s tariffs on his country, reiterating a message from The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board that the taxation plan was “dumb.”

“Now, I want to speak directly to one specific American,” Trudeau said Tuesday in an address. “Donald, in the over eight years you and I have worked together, we’ve done big things. We signed a historic deal that has created record jobs and growth in both of our countries. We’ve done big things together on the world stage, as Canada and the U.S. have done together for decades, for generations. And now, we should be working together to ensure even greater prosperity for North Americans in a very uncertain and challenging world.”

Trudeau then highlighted a recent op-ed from the Journal’s editorial board that said Trump’s tariff plan was the “dumbest tariff plunge” that is hurting the country’s friends.

“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,” Trudeau said.

The Prime Minister urged the U.S. president to see that the neighboring, allied countries fighting is exactly what international adversaries want to see.

Trudeau then addressed his fellow Canadians, who will experience economic disruption as the flow of goods between countries will spike prices.

“I won’t sugarcoat it, this is going to be tough, even though we’re all going to pull together because that’s what we do,” he said. “We will use every tool at our disposal so Canadian workers and businesses can weather this storm.”

Trudeau promised that the Canadian government will protect its citizens and Canadian businesses from attacks and takeovers from the tariffs.

“We will stand up for Canadians every single second of every single day, because this country is worth fighting for,” he said.

Speaking directly to the American people, Trudeau warned that prices would rise because of the Trump administration's actions and said there is "absolutely" no need or justification for the tariffs on allies.

“We don’t want this. We want to work with you as a friend and ally, and we don’t want to see you hurt either, but your government has chosen to do this to you,” he said, later adding, “They have chosen to launch a trade war that will, first and foremost, harm American families.”

Trump responded to Trudeau in a post on the president's Truth Social site, using his familiar nickname suggesting that the prime minister would be Canada's "governor" if the country is acquired by the U.S.

"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!" Trump said.

Trump last month signed off on reciprocal tariffs for any country that planned to put its own on the U.S.

Updated at 1:03 p.m. EST

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