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Photo Of Trump, Canadian PM Trudeau Takes Social Media By Storm

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


A photo of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dining with Donald Trump and several of his Cabinet nominees Friday evening at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida instantly went viral on the X platform.

The photo, posted by conservative influencer and podcaster Benny Johnson, shows an outwardly jovial group who are all smiles amid reports that the Canadian leader visited Trump over the latter’s threat to impose tariffs on incoming products unless Trudeau’s government did more to staunch illegal immigration into the U.S.

“Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc accompanied Trudeau on the trip. Trudeau is the first G-7 leader to visit Trump since the U.S. election,” Fox News reported. The visit follows Trump’s recent threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico due to their failure to control the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S.

Joining Trump and Trudeau at dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, outgoing North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser, and the three men’s wives, according to a person familiar with the dinner plans who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity, per Newsmax.

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Also at the dinner, the person said, were David McCormick, just elected U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and his wife Dina Powell, a former deputy national security adviser under Trump, as well as LeBlanc and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff.

Trudeau stated earlier on Friday that he would address the tariff issue by speaking with Trump.

“We’re going to work together to meet some of the concerns,” he told reporters in Canada’s Prince Edward Island. “But ultimately it is through lots of real constructive conversations with President Trump that I am going to have, that will keep us moving forward on the right track for all Canadians.”

Trudeau remarked that Trump was elected on promises to reduce the cost of living, including groceries, but is now proposing policies that could increase prices by 25% on various goods, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island.

“It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau noted further.

Earlier this week, Trump stated he would impose tariffs on America’s neighbors starting on the first day of his presidency.

“Right now a Caravan coming from Mexico, composed of thousands of people, seems to be unstoppable in its quest to come through our currently Open Border,” he wrote. “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders.”

On Wednesday, Trump got on the phone with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, after which he said she agreed to “stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States,” following a productive discussion.

Shortly after Trump’s tariff promises, Canadian officials said the country places the “highest priority” on border security.

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“Our relationship today is balanced and mutually beneficial, particularly for American workers,” Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a joint statement. “Today, Canada buys more from the United States than China, Japan, France, and the U.K. combined. Canada is essential to US domestic energy supply, and last year 60 percent of U.S. crude oil imports originated in Canada.”

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated on Friday that he anticipates holding candid discussions with Trump about the security agreement between Japan and the United States, which he described as the cornerstone of their alliance.

“I will have frank discussions with incoming president Trump and lead the alliance to new heights,” Ishiba, who assumed office Oct. 1, said in a policy address to Parliament, the Taipei Times reported.

“Naturally, the U.S. has its own national interest, and Japan has its own national interest. That is why I think exchanging opinions frankly and enhancing the national interests of both countries in a synergetic way will help realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

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