Trudeau bought himself another couple months as prime minister with his Monday announcement. Pictured: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo Credit: Justin Trudeau/X.
Monday’s press conference staged on the landing in front of Rideau Cottage played out just like one of the fascinating, confusing scenes in the 1999 psychological thriller “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” Like Matt Damon’s masterful performance as con artist Tom Ripley, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a speech and Q&A session that had Canadians in a willing state of suspended disbelief, and left them certain they had witnessed a resignation statement. Yet, as he turned and disappeared through the cottage doors – even as some government sponsored legacy media were beginning to pay tribute to the endearing legacy of the Trudeau Liberals – many Canadians were quick to clue into Trudeau’s ruse: he remains prime minister.
The Cottage Scene
All previews of Trudeau’s anticipated announcement suggested he had begrudgedly accepted that he would step aside, allowing the country to prepare for the threats posed by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. Also, from a political standpoint, pundits agreed the Liberals needed to settle on a script that would have them rebound from their 16 per cent standing in the polls before they faced the voters in the months ahead. With that background, Trudeau strode to the lectern placed squarely in front of Rideau Cottage – a familiar stage setting for Canadians, who through the COVID pandemic were hanging off every word Trudeau uttered in this exact same spot.
He began his address with a few bromides before quickly honing in on what would be the theme of his soliloquy, “You all know I am a fighter.” He wants to establish his pugnacious legacy, stating “since 2015, I’ve fought for this country, for you, to strengthen and grow the middle class, why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy, and to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future.”
Then Trudeau looked straight into the cameras: “We are at a critical moment in the world. My friends, as you all know, I’m a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians….”; he tells us he has shut down parliament “despite best efforts to work through it” and that he “intend[s] to resign as party leader, as prime minister, (dramatic pause) after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process.” Trudeau then assumes a solemn voice in saying, “This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.”
Performance Reviews
It was evident Trudeau was prepped for his first cameo appearance since former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland unexpectantly resigned. Trudeau’s delivery, the tone and pace, his gestures, were all classic Trudeauesque. Yet, political news commentators and pundits found this performance too deliberate and self-absorbed, to the point of being insulting. Seemingly, their takes reflect the Canadian audience on a whole as this week’s initial public opinion polling indicates there has been no sympathy/relief “bump” for the governing Liberals. Here is a sampling of Trudeau’s performance reviews.
“Trudeau leaves office as he has lived his life: careless of the consequences for others. A spoiled rich kid, a narcissist, and a foolish dreamer, he couldn’t even exit without making a new mess for his party to clean up…. For all his talk of being a fighter and never wanting to be counted out, in the end he ducked his last fight and will go out with a whimper waving a white towel at the final bell. For that he has no one to blame but himself.” – Howard Anglin in the independent news source The Hub.
“Apart from his family, the prime minister had not a single word of thanks for his staff, his Liberal party, his cabinet, his MPs, campaign volunteers who toiled for the Liberal candidates, or even citizens who voted three times for his government. He said Canadians are a wonderful bunch and he’s glad to be their champion. But he gave the impression that they, not he, are the lucky ones. Mainly he thanked himself for being such a toughie. Trudeau certainly gave new evidence to the many critics who believe he’s clinically self-absorbed.” – Don Braid in the Calgary Herald.
“In classic narcissistic fashion, Trudeau on Monday blamed his party — and everyone else — for his problems. He blamed his caucus… Then he blamed former finance minister Chrystia Freeland… And he blamed the other parties. He claimed that stepping down as leader would decrease polarization in the House of Commons… In the interests of democracy, he would withdraw himself so that parliamentarians can ‘serve Canadians.’ For a leader once hailed as a unifying figure, his departure was a pathetic exercise in self-pity that will do nothing to heal the divisions he created.” – Tasha Kheiriddin in the National Post.
“The Prime Minister’s ego was so massive, he refused to believe the country didn’t love him enough to give him a fourth term. What hubris. What conceit….. He had to wait until he became a punchline, an international laughing-stock.” – Gary Mason in the Globe and Mail.
Scene Crib Notes
The single significant point Canadians should be aware of in the Rideau Cottage scene is that Trudeau did not resign, he said he intended to resign in the coming months. Trudeau remains prime minister – with increased latitude. He is now pulling the levers of power in Ottawa with no need to answer to Parliament, no need to answer to his Liberal caucus. He has best friends in Cabinet and the PMO, who together will make appointments, dole out money, and continue to manage the affairs of this country as they have all along. Trudeau has named himself as the lead to manage the tariff and economic threats posed by Trump – especially problematic given the total lack of respect Trump has for Trudeau.
In an erudite opinion piece by independent Canadian political news maverick Meghan Murphy entitled “Justin Trudeau didn’t resign—he impeded the democratic process,” she makes the point: “Trudeau knows what’s best for Canadians, despite themselves. He knows what we should care about, even if we don’t. He won’t concede that Canadians hate him for every good reason. He won’t concede democracy to we, the people. His dictatorship won’t be toppled—he will cling to it for as long as he can manage, then transition peacefully into an even more nefarious position behind the curtain with the other anti-freedom villains we never voted for.”
In another telling editorial piece, Ezra Levant of Rebel News forecasts that Trudeau has plans for his remaining time in office. “Folks, expect a flurry of activity, moving forward. Trudeau will be appointing every crony, every pal, every donor to lucrative patronage positions. He’ll be signing massive sole-source contracts to friends. Passing insane executive orders. He’ll also likely raid the treasury like never before. And he’ll shred incriminating documents and delete emails like a Hillary Clinton on crack.” And in an accompanying post on X, Levant states: “There are eight Senate vacancies. Trudeau will appoint every one of them in his final, ignominious days in power. He’ll reward every crony, every suck-up journalist, every donor. Ambassadorships, if there are any. Sole-sourced contracts. He’s going to loot the place.”
More serious than the possibilities of Trudeau’s political powerplays in Ottawa is the disastrous impact this man will have on Canadians’ diplomatic relations and trade negotiations with the U.S. in the coming months. Perhaps there is nobody more insightful on this subject than General Andrew Leslie, a former Liberal MP from 2015 to 2019, who served as policy confidant to Trudeau and government whip of the Liberal caucus. In a True North interview, Leslie is frank in his assessment of the leadership vacuum Trudeau has created, “So, who is the strong, capable, knowledgeable team that represents Canada’s interest at argumentatively the single most important and economically fragile time we have had with the United States in living memory? And if that was not his first consideration, then shame on him.”
For Leslie, this is a critical detriment for Canada, “Donald Trump’s team is transactional in nature… When they see a weakness, or nations that project weakness or fragility or instability or chaos, they will probably try and get a better deal of it. So, in my opinion, what the current prime minister of Canada has just done has not helped us in the slightest.”
Here is a final thought, given we have just witnessed Justin “Mr. Ripley” Trudeau not only conning his way out of another impossible situation but actually improving his position. This scribe is old enough to remember Pierre Elliott Trudeau miraculously rising from his political deathbed in late 1979 with the Liberals orchestrating a successful parliamentary end run to force an election. Pierre Elliott Trudeau led the Liberals into a 1980 campaign and electoral victory – and he enjoyed another four years in the PMO. Fast forward 45 years with his son, who fancies himself a “just watch me too” fighter: Justin rope-a-dopes three months avoiding parliament and his caucus, stays on his feet while taking a beating from Trump, and then comes off the ropes…. Then what might Canadians expect?! Perhaps an emergency election call to answer an increasingly impossible situation with the U.S.? Might it be possible Ripley-Trudeau has another unbelievable scene in the making for his Canadian audience?
Chris George is an advocate, government relations advisor, and writer/copy editor. As president of a public relations firm established in 1994, Chris provides discreet counsel, tactical advice and management skills to CEOs/Presidents, Boards of Directors and senior executive teams in executing public and government relations campaigns and managing issues. Prior to this PR/GR career, Chris spent seven years on Parliament Hill on staffs of Cabinet Ministers and MPs. He has served in senior campaign positions for electoral and advocacy campaigns at every level of government. Today, Chris resides in Almonte, Ontario where he and his wife manage www.cgacommunications.com. Contact Chris at chrisg.george@gmail.com.
