Trump re-election ‘won’t be easy’ for Canada, says PM Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau has said that if Donald Trump is re-elected as US president, it will not “be easy” for Canada.

The Canadian prime minister said that the former president returning to the White Housewould be a “step back” and a “victory of populism”, in remarks made on Tuesday.

It comes after Mr Trump – the clear GOP frontrunner – scored a decisive victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday night.

Many have speculated that the win puts him in good stead to secure the Republican nomination – taking him one step closer on his path back to the Oval Office.

Mr Trudeau, whose centre-left Liberals came to power in November 2015, had rocky relations with Mr Trump during his first four-year White House term. In 2018, the former president accused him of being weak and dishonest.

«It wasn’t easy the first time and if there is a second time, it won’t be easy either,» Mr Trudeau said in French during a discussion hosted by the Montreal chamber of commerce.

Justin Trudeau with Donald Trump in the Oval Office in February 2017

«But we can’t imagine a day when it will ever be easy with the Americans. The main responsibility for any prime minister is to represent and defend Canada’s interests… we’ve been able to do this very well these past few years.»

Canada sends 75% of its goods and services exports to the United States and is particularly vulnerable to any US shift toward protectionism.

According to Reutersin a survey this month, around two-thirds of Canadians surveyed said they did not think US democracy could survive another four years of Trump in power.

Around half said the US is on the way to becoming an authoritarian state, the poll, which was released on Monday, stated.

Mr Trudeau added that a win for Mr Trump would be «a step back»