Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reportedly set to announce his resignation this week as internal dissent within his Liberal Party intensifies, The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday.
Citing three anonymous sources familiar with internal party affairs, the Globe stated that Trudeau could make the announcement as early as Monday. The expected resignation is likely to come before a national Liberal Party caucus meeting scheduled for Wednesday, according to the sources.
It remains unclear whether Trudeau will remain in an interim capacity while the party searches for new leadership, the Globe reported.
Trudeau’s popularity has waned in recent months, with his government narrowly surviving a series of no-confidence votes and mounting calls for his resignation. Despite his vow to remain in office to lead the Liberals into the scheduled October 2025 elections, further pressure has come from incoming US President Donald Trump, who has threatened a 25-percent tariff on Canadian goods.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in December after disagreeing with Trudeau over how to handle Trump’s trade threats, marking the first significant dissent within his cabinet.
Later that month, Trudeau announced a major reshuffle of his cabinet, replacing nearly one-third of his team in an attempt to stabilize his government amid political turmoil.
In November, Trudeau traveled to Florida to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in a bid to avoid a trade war. However, since then, Trump has continued to criticize Trudeau on social media, repeatedly referring to him as “governor” of Canada and suggesting that the United States should annex Canada as its 51st state.
Trudeau rose to power in 2015 with his trademark dark curly hair and confident presence, leading the Liberals to victories in the 2019 and 2021 elections. However, he now trails his main rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, by 20 points in public opinion polls.
A political latecomer who worked as a snowboard instructor, bartender, bouncer, and teacher before entering politics in 2008, Trudeau first won a seat in the House of Commons representing a working-class Montreal neighborhood.
During his two terms as prime minister, Trudeau introduced Senate reforms, negotiated a new trade deal with the United States, and implemented a carbon tax aimed at reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The married father of three also legalized cannabis, spearheaded a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, and passed legislation permitting medically assisted suicide.
