Donald Trump called Justin Trudeau “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada” in a December 2024 Truth Social post after Trudeau warned that Trump’s proposed tariffs would make life more expensive for Americans and cause hardship on both sides of the border. The wording was a mocking nickname, not an official title; the exchange came amid a dispute over Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports.
What happened between Trump and Trudeau?
On December 10, 2024, Forbes reported that Trump had used the “Governor” label in a Truth Social post after Trudeau discussed the potential effects of tariffs at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce event. Forbes reported that the two had recently had dinner and that Trump’s post referred to further talks on tariffs and trade. Forbes’s December 10 report reproduces Trump’s wording: “It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.”
Trump continued: “seeing the Governor again soon, so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all!” In context, “Governor” was a jab at Trudeau during their trade-policy dispute, not a description of Trudeau’s position. Trudeau was Canada’s prime minister.
What did Trudeau say about the tariffs?
Forbes reported that Trudeau warned at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce event that tariffs on Canadian goods would raise costs for Americans and cause hardship in both countries. The report quoted him saying people were “beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive.” He also said: “It would also, however, mean real hardship for Americans as well.” Forbes is the source for these reported remarks; the sources cited here do not provide a verbatim transcript of the Halifax event.
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What tariffs had Trump threatened?
In November 2024, Trump threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. The Associated Press reported that he cited border security, drugs, and trade in announcing the threat. That was a proposed measure at the time of the December exchange, not the same thing as the later tariffs and responses announced in 2025. The Associated Press’s November 2024 report said 75% of Canada’s exports went to the United States, underscoring the exposure of the two countries’ trade relationship.
How did the tariff dispute develop afterward?
Later announcements add context but should not be mistaken for facts already in place when Forbes published its December 2024 story.
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Canada’s February 2025 response
In an official address on February 1, 2025, Trudeau announced that Canada would impose 25% tariffs on $155 billion of American goods, phased in two tranches. He urged partnership rather than punishment, saying: “if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us.” The Prime Minister of Canada’s transcript records the announcement and Trudeau’s account of it.
Trudeau’s March 2025 account of U.S. measures
In a March 3, 2025 statement, Trudeau said the United States had proceeded, after a 30-day pause, with 25% tariffs on Canadian exports and 10% tariffs on Canadian energy. This is the Canadian government’s account in that statement, not a current tariff schedule. Read the official statement.
Trump used the nickname again
In a May 2025 official transcript of a later meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said: “I will tell you that Trudeau, when I spoke to him—I used to call him ‘Governor Trudeau.’” That later remark corroborates his continued use of the nickname, but it is not a transcript of the December 2024 Truth Social post. The White House transcript records the later exchange.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the exchange does—and does not—tell consumers
The December story documents a political exchange over a tariff threat, not a measured change in household prices. Trudeau warned that tariffs could make life more expensive for Americans; the cited records do not establish a verified price increase caused by the November threat. The figures and rates above refer to different announcements, dates, and speakers, so they should not be treated as one continuous tariff rate.
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This account covers the December 2024 exchange and selected official follow-up, not every U.S.–Canada tariff in force today. Tariffs and trade rules can change; anyone making a current business or purchasing decision should consult a dated official tariff schedule or government action record.
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