Premiers express disapproval of Trudeau’s remarks on Kamala Harris
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent comments regarding Kamala Harris’s electoral defeat as a setback for women’s rights and progress garnered criticism from both the country’s premiers and American billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation on Tuesday night— an organization committed to enhancing gender representation in Canadian politics—Trudeau expressed concern about regressive forces impeding women’s progress.
Trudeau stated, “It shouldn’t be this way. It wasn’t meant to be this way. We were supposed to be steadily progressing towards gender equality, despite the challenges.” He further affirmed his strong support for feminism and commitment to being an ally.
He pointed out, “Yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States made the decision for the second time not to elect its first female president. Women’s rights and progress are under attack, both overtly and subtly, everywhere.”
Responding to Trudeau’s remarks, Musk took to X to express his criticism, calling Trudeau an “insufferable tool” and predicting his imminent exit from power.
Trudeau’s comments were met with disapproval from the country’s premiers as well. He and several cabinet ministers held a meeting late Wednesday to discuss Canada’s strategy in negotiations with the U.S.
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Incoming president Donald Trump has threatened Canada with a 25 percent tariff on its imports to the United States unless security along the border is enhanced to meet his requirements.
The Liberal government has been urging the premiers and opposition leaders to present a united front, known as “Team Canada,” in negotiations with the U.S.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, chair of the Council of the Federation, conveyed the premiers’ message to Trudeau that his comments were unhelpful.
Ford emphasized, “Donald Trump was elected through democratic means. Whether we agree with him or not is not the issue at hand.”
He concluded by stating his belief that Trudeau received the premiers’ feedback loud and clear.
When questioned about Ford’s criticism post-meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland reiterated in French that Trudeau has always championed women in politics.
Earlier this week, Trump mocked Trudeau on social media, jokingly referring to him as the governor of the “Great State of Canada.”
This post seemed to stem from a jest Trump made during a dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate nearly two weeks ago.
In response to Trudeau’s concerns about the impact of a 25 percent tariff on Canada’s economy, Trump playfully suggested Canada could become the 51st state of the U.S.
He later shared an AI-generated image on social media showing himself atop a mountain with a Canadian flag waving, captioned “Oh Canada.”
