A weeping Justin Trudeau has taken one last swipe at Donald Trump during his final speech as Prime Minister of Canada.
Trudeau, who was forced to step down following a wave of resignations from his cabinet in the final months of 2024, was seen dabbing his eyes with a tissue during a conference to his Liberal party last night.
The 53-year-old leader will be replaced by former Bank of England boss Mark Carney, who won his party’s leadership race and carried on the US-Canada war of words by accusing the firebrand Republican of ‘attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses.’
Trudeau said during his emotional speech: ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m damn proud of what we’ve done over these past 10 years. But tonight is about our future as a party, as a country.’
Referencing the ongoing threat of massive economic tariffs from US president Donald Trump that could cripple the country’s economy, the outgoing PM said that Canada is ‘a country who will fight when we must, elbows up.’
He added that Canadians are now showing ‘what makes us… by proudly embracing who we are’ amid existential challenges.
Trudeau then told the gathered members of the Liberal Party conference: ‘Your country needs you maybe more than ever. And I have no doubt that you will answer the call, because you’ve done it before. Liberals will meet this moment.’
He describes the current moment of history as a ‘nation-defining moment’, adding: ‘Democracy is not a given, freedom is not a given, even Canada is not a given.’
None of those happened by accident or will continue without effort, Trudeau said, adding: ‘It takes courage, it takes sacrifice, it takes hope and hard work’.
Carney’s first speech as the incoming PM saw him accuse Trump of seeking to control Canada by force.
He said: ‘The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country.’
A weeping Justin Trudeau (pictured) has taken one last swipe at Donald Trump during his final speech as Prime Minister of Canada
The 53-year-old leader will be replaced by former Bank of England boss Mark Carney (pictured)
Donald Trump (pictured) has lifted some of the tariffs he placed on Canada
Carney had earlier weighed in on the standoff between Trump and Trudeau
Carney added that Trump is ‘attacking Canadian workers, families, and businesses. We cannot let him succeed.’
The former banker said the actions of Canadians in standing up to Trump have made him proud.
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‘I’m proud of the voices of Canadians who are making their voices heard and their wallets felt,’ he said as the crowd cheered.
‘Our provinces are stepping up to the fight. When we are united, we are Canada strong.
‘The Canadian government has rightly retaliated. My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect.’
Carney had earlier weighed in on the standoff between Trump and Trudeau, but there were doubts about whether he would attempt to strike a friendlier relationship with the leader of Canada’s closest neighbour.
He had previously said: ‘We have made this the greatest country in the world and now our neighbours want to take us. No way.’
Before appointing his successor, Trudeau announced Canada would begin implementing 25 percent tariffs on $155 billion of American goods, starting with $30 billion worth of products immediately.
‘This is a time to hit back hard and to demonstrate that a fight with Canada will have no winners,’ he said.
The former Bank of England leader will take over at a tumultuous time in Canada, which is in the midst of a trade war with longtime ally the United States and must hold a general election soon.
Carney, 59, took 86% of votes cast to beat former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in a contest in which just under 152,000 party members voted.
The political novice argued that he was best placed to revive the party and to oversee trade negotiations with Trump, who is threatening additional tariffs that could cripple Canada’s export-dependent economy.
Trudeau and Carny were seen embracing each other at the conference on Sunday night
A person attends the ‘Elbows up’ rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 9, 202
A pro-Trump protestor gestures on the day of the ‘Elbows up’ rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 9, 2025
People gather for the ‘Elbows up’ rally on Parliament Hill
Carney was the front-runner, with the most endorsements from party members and the most money raised among the four Liberal candidates.
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Carney’s win marks the first time an outsider with no real political background has become Canadian prime minister. He has said his experience as the first person to serve as the governor of two G7 central banks – Canada and England – meant he was the best candidate to deal with Trump.
During the campaign, Carney said he supported dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs against the United States and a coordinated strategy to boost investment. He has repeatedly complained that Canada’s growth under Trudeau was not good enough.
The prospect of a fresh start for the Liberal Party under Carney, combined with Trump’s tariffs and his repeated taunts to annex Canada as the 51st U.S. state, led to a remarkable revival of Liberal fortunes.
Trump has argued that the trade deficit with Canada demonstrates that the United States deserves to level more tariffs on their imported goods.
The president warned Trudeau Tuesday that the United States was willing to level additional tariffs on their country’s economy.
‘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 warned on social media.
People participate in a rally in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Sunday, March 9, 2025
Crysta Baylis holds a puppet depicting U.S. President Donald Trump during the ‘Elbows up’ rally
At a protest outside Canada’s Parliament building in Ottawa on Sunday, dozens of Canadians held up signs protesting Trump with no reference to domestic politics
‘We subsidize them $200 billion a year. Without us, Canada can’t make it,’ Trump said during a cabinet meeting last week. ‘You know, Canada relies on us 95 percent. We rely on them 4 percent. Big difference.’
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Trump suggested that Canada should join the United States if they want to escape the tariffs.
‘I say Canada should be our 51st state. There’s no tariffs, no nothing,’ he said last week.
Trump also argues that since the United States pays largely for Canada’s military security, the country should also pay more in tariffs.
‘We protect Canada. But it’s not fair. It’s not fair that they’re not paying their way. And if they had to pay their way, they couldn’t exist,’ he said.
At the start of 2025, the Liberal party trailed by 20 or more points but is now statistically tied with the official opposition Conservatives led by career politician Pierre Poilievre in several polls.
At a protest outside Canada’s Parliament building in Ottawa on Sunday, dozens of Canadians held up signs protesting Trump with no reference to domestic politics.
‘There is a rallying-around-the-flag moment that we would never have predicted a year ago,’ said University of British Columbia politics professor Richard Johnston. ‘I think it’s probably true as we speak that the Liberals have been saved from oblivion.’
Two Liberal Party sources said Carney would call an election in coming weeks.
Before appointing his successor, Trudeau announced Canada would begin implementing 25 percent tariffs on $155 billion of American goods, starting with $30 billion worth of products immediately
Trump has repeatedly touted his ambition to annex Canada, referring to Trudeau as ‘Governor Trudeau’ and the nation as America’s ’51st state.’
Justin Trudeau ‘s replacement as Prime Minister of Canada has been chosen amid increasingly hostile relations between the United States and its northern neighboUr
Polls though indicate that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives would be able to form a majority government. An election must be held by October 20.
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Carney could legally serve as prime minister without a seat in the House of Commons but tradition dictates that he should seek to win one as soon as possible.
In 1984, John Turner was not a legislator when he became prime minister after winning a Liberal leadership race.
Liberals sought to compare Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to Trump in a recent . Poilievre in turn ramped up attacks on Carney on Sunday.
The Liberals ‘are going to pull a sneaky trick,’ Poilievre said at a campaign rally. ‘They’re going to try to get elected for a fourth term by replacing Justin Trudeau with his economic adviser, Mark Carney. … Donald Trump will have a big smile on his face.’
Carney has played down any role in advising Trudeau, noting his many global obligations left him with little time. Carney resigned all commercial posts after he launched his leadership bid in January.