WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation issued the following statement in response to Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he intends to resign as Canadian Prime Minister as soon as his Liberal Party elects a new leader. Trudeau’s decision comes as the United States Congress convened to certify the 2024 election results, in which President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris.  

Heritage Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom Nile Gardiner stated:     

“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for U.S.-Canada relations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to resign before what looked to be almost certain electoral defeat provides an opportunity to strengthen American national interests, particularly in the areas of trade and national security. 
 

“Trudeau’s declining support among Canadians was unsurprising given his administration’s embrace of mass immigration, suppression of free speech, doubling of the national debt, and policies militating against affordable domestic energy and economic growth. Canada remains a critical ally of the United States, and it was apparently clear to the Canadian people that a major change in leadership was necessary to unlock its full potential.” 

Heritage Senior Fellow for Border Security and Immigration Simon Hankinson added:  

“The Canadian people effectively dismissed Prime Minister Trudeau after a decade of failed policies, particularly in immigration. 

 

“The Trudeau government favored foreign nationals over Canadian interests. Mass migration to Canada created an unsustainable situation in which crime rates, housing prices, displaced domestic workers, and even illegal immigration into the United States all surged, while the health care system was swamped.  

 

“Since 2021, Trudeau’s Canada more than doubled the number of temporary workers and students to over 3 million – over 7% of the population. This year, nearly 5 million temporary visas will expire, yet Canada has no credible plan to remove those unwilling to go home.

 

“Trudeau’s immigration agenda serves as a cautionary tale—a blueprint for how to destabilize a modern nation in record time. The United States would do well to study this case and learn from Canada’s experience.”