Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a press conference during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok on November 18, 2022. Photo: VCG

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, stating his intention to step down as prime minister and leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party after a new party leader is selected.

"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader," the 53-year-old leader told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday. Canada's parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new Liberal Party leader is chosen, he added, according to CNN.

During his news conference, Trudeau was asked how the government can protect Canada from the US tariff threat if key cabinet ministers are absorbed in a leadership race. "The government and the cabinet will still be very much focused on doing the job Canadians elected us to do in 2021, which is fight for their interests, stand up for their well-being and make sure that Canadians ... are protected and strong," Trudeau said.

"I can assure you that the tools and the need to stand up for Canadians, to protect Canadians in their interests and continue to fight for the economy, is something everyone in this government will be singularly focused on," said Trudeau, according to CBC. 

Pierre Poilievre, the opposition Conservative Party's leader, was quick to weigh in on the political fracas surrounding Trudeau, writing in a post on X Monday that Liberals wanted to "trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians," and "The only way to fix what Liberals broke is ... to elect common sense Conservatives," he added.

On December 20, Trudeau reshuffled his Cabinet, a move that Canadian public opinion believes is aimed at stabilizing the government to address potential tariff threats from the Trump administration and to prepare for the federal election scheduled for October 2025, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Trump reacted to Trudeau's resignation in a Truth Social post. "Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned," Trump said in the post. 

"If Canada merged with the US," Trump continued, "there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!"

Trudeau's decision to step down is bringing questions about how the government will handle any negotiations with the Trump administration, CBC reported on Tuesday.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that since 2015, some believe that Trudeau's nine-year tenure has seen limited progress in many fields. "In terms of diplomacy, Canada has lost dignity; in terms of economy, it has seen little progress; and in terms of society, the country has become increasingly divided. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. All of these problems constitute the reasons behind Trudeau's resignation."

Lü Xiang, a research fellow on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "Looking ahead, after Trump is inaugurated, the US is expected to gather the resources from its allies to serve the US overall strategy and solve the country's troubles for development. Washington is likely to increase pressure on Canada following Trudeau's resignation, and whoever becomes the new leader of Canada would have to face greater pressures from its old neighbor in the south."