Trudeau praises Biden's world leadership as pressure mounts on U.S. president to quit race

As a growing number of Democrats call on U.S. President Joe Biden to drop his re-election bid, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Thursday that NATO and the G7 are «lucky» to have Biden leading «in some extraordinarily consequential times.»

The 81-year-old Biden is facing mounting criticism over a June 27 debate performance against 78-year-old Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president. The two men are the oldest candidates ever to seek the presidency.

Several congressional Democrats have urged Biden to re-think his re-election prospects. Hollywood actor George Clooney has joined that group and is now calling on Biden to quit the presidential race.

When asked by reporters whether Biden could lead on the world stage, Trudeau said «it has been, as always, a privilege and a pleasure to work alongside [Biden] on big issues.»

"[Biden's] depth of experience, his thoughtfulness, his steadfastness on the greatest issues and challenges of our time is a credit to the work that we're all doing together," Trudeau added.

While Biden admitted to ABC News during an interview after the debate that it was a «bad night» for him, he has strongly resisted calls to drop out of the election.

Cautious words on U.S. politics

Trudeau and his Liberals have been reluctant to comment on the presidential election, which could pose risks for Canada's relationship with its largest trading partner and most important ally.

When Trump announced his intention to run again last November, Canadian officials told CBC News that they intended to withhold comment.

Trudeau did criticize Trump during an interview with CBC's Rosemary Barton back in December 2023. He said «there's a concern» about the future of efforts to combat climate change should Trump