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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used today’s speech outlining the Canadian response to Donald Trump’s tariffs to speak to him directly as “Donald.”
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It has not been Trudeau’s habit. He more commonly says “President Trump” or “Donald Trump.” Yet today, he was on guard for Canada, directing his message to the one American he believes is responsible for the tariffs.
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“Now, I want to speak directly to one specific American: Donald,” Trudeau said this morning. The segment directed at Trump was among a speech more broadly aimed at Americans and Canadians.
Trudeau remarked on the “eight years” that he and Trump have worked together, doing “big things,” including the 2020 U.S.-Canada-Mexico Free Trade Agreement, which is still in place, and which today’s tariffs contravene.
“We’ve done things together on the world stage,” Trudeau continued in addressing Trump, “as Canada and the U.S. have done together for decades, for generations. And, now, we should be working together to ensure even greater prosperity for North Americans in a very uncertain and challenging world.”
Instead, Trudeau noted, Trump has initiated a trade war. For a second time, he spoke directly to “Donald.”
“Now, it’s not my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, the point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do. We two friends, fighting, is exactly what our opponents…want to see.”
Trudeau’s use of Trump’s first name in this context appears to be intentional and pointed, emphasizing the personal nature of his message and the seriousness of the situation. It’s not how diplomatic communications between heads of state are usually carried out, but then Trump has frequently delighted in taunting Trudeau as the “governor of the 51st state.”
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Trudeau has publicly addressed Donald Trump on several previous occasions, with varying tones depending on the context.
Following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Trudeau directly criticized Trump, calling the event “an assault on democracy by violent rioters, incited by the current president and other politicians”. Subsequently, in April 2023, Trudeau made a thinly veiled criticism of Trump’s impact on American democracy while speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
During Trump’s first term in the White House, Trudeau and other NATO leaders were caught on camera apparently mocking Trump.
Trudeau spoke about the potential of another Trump presidency, stating “it wasn’t easy the first time and if there is a second time, it won’t be easy either.” And describing Trump response to climate change as a “step back”.
In February 2025, Trudeau commented on Trump’s remarks about potentially annexing Canada, suggesting that Trump’s real interest might be related to Canada’s large cache of critical minerals. Trudeau described this as “a real thing” and a “substantial issue”.
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