Justin Trudeau sends congratulations to Donald Trump on his victory

Photo: Jim Watson Agence France-Presse Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau at the White House, October 11, 2017

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the country's special relationship with the United States as he formally congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday morning.

“The friendship between Canada and the United States is the envy of the world. I know that President Trump and I will work together to deliver greater opportunity, prosperity and security to the citizens of both our countries,” Trudeau posted on X.

The message, sent around 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, is attached to a photo of the two men in a heated discussion inside the Oval Office of the White House.

Congratulations to Donald Trump on being elected President of the United States.

The friendship between Canada and the United States is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to deliver greater opportunity, prosperity, and security to the citizens of both our countries. pic.twitter.com/5g5vGOqeXN

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 6, 2024

In a statement sent by his office, the Prime Minister not only congratulated Donald Trump on his election to a second term as President of the United States, but also reserved a few words for Senator J.D. Vance, who is taking over as Vice President.

“During President Trump’s first term, we successfully renegotiated the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, which created thousands of good-paying jobs and brought investment and opportunity to our communities,” the statement added.

It is noted that trade between Canada and the United States amounted to more than $1.3 trillion last year. Since Justin Trudeau was elected in 2015, bilateral trade has increased by more than $400 billion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in power during the entire first term of U.S. President Donald Trump, between 2016 and 2020. The relationship between the two men has not always been rosy. Mr. Trump's last visit to Quebec, for a G7 summit in Charlevoix in 2018, saw the president leave the meeting with an ill-timed note about Justin Trudeau, calling him “docile,” “dishonest” and “weak.”

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Canada has remained on his mind in recent years, as evidenced by his denunciation of a “woke tyranny” north of the border, in reference to the COVID-19 health measures opposed by the “Freedom Convoy” protesters in Ottawa. More recently, Mr. Trump has highlighted Canada’s decision to lower immigration thresholds. “Even Justin Trudeau wants to close Canada’s borders,” he wrote on his Truth Social network, echoing his own promise to tackle migration flows to his country.

Other leaders hail victory

Government leaders from Europe and elsewhere had already congratulated Mr. Trump on his victory early Wednesday morning, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly emphasized the economic ties between the two countries in her own message to Mr. Trump on Wednesday. morning.

“Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies, deeply connected by our economies and our people. Together, we will focus on investment, growth, peace and security around the world.”

Diplomats at the Canadian embassy expected to work part of the night to follow the details of Tuesday's U.S. vote, such as referendums in some states on abortion rights and tax measures. “Many of these issues have repercussions in Canada,” Canadian Ambassador to Washington Kirsten Hillman told Le Devoir on the eve of the vote.

American Day in Ottawa

The leader of the official opposition in Ottawa, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, had still not reacted to the re-election of President Trump at the time of writing.

In the Bloc Québécois, leader Yves-François Blanchet took to the keyboard to wish for good collaboration “between neighbours and friends designated by history,” particularly on the thorny issue of immigration. “The President-elect of the United States was able to read the hearts of many citizens and offer them the words that would have won them over to him,” stressed the sovereignist leader.

The deputy leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Alexandre Boulerice, who publicly displayed his preference for a Democratic presidency of Kamala Harris, for his part simply wrote on his social networks: “Courage friends.”

On Tuesday, the Canadian prime minister said he was ready to work with both former Republican President Donald Trump and his rival, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. “My job as prime minister has always been to work with whoever the American people elect as president, but most importantly to be there to defend Canadian values, interests and jobs,” he told reporters.

More details to follow.