Amid ongoing trade tensions between the United States and Canada, US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a nearly 50-minute phone conversation on Wednesday. According to Reuters, the discussion mainly focused on fentanyl smuggling and trade relations. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Vice President JD Vance were also on the call.
Reports of Heated Exchanges
CTV News, citing an unnamed source, reported that the conversation turned “heated” at times. However, specific details of their discussion were not publicly disclosed. Reports suggested that apart from fentanyl smuggling, the two leaders also talked about Canada’s upcoming elections.
Trump Accuses Trudeau of Political Motives
Following the call, Trump shared his version of events on his Truth Social platform. He alleged that Trudeau was using the trade dispute to hold onto power.
“He was unable to tell me when the Canadian Election is taking place, which made me curious, like, what’s going on here? I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power,” Trump wrote.
Trudeau, who has led Canada since 2015, had announced earlier this year that he would step down after a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.
Concerns Over Fentanyl Smuggling
Trump also expressed strong concerns over fentanyl trafficking, claiming that the synthetic opioid continues to enter the US through Canada and Mexico. He said he was not convinced that Canadian authorities had done enough to stop it.
“I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped. He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, ‘That’s not good enough.'”
Despite the tense exchanges, Trump stated that their conversation ended on a “somewhat friendly manner.”
Ongoing Diplomatic Discussions
Following the phone call, teams from both nations planned to continue discussions on trade and security concerns. However, sources did not provide further details on these follow-up talks.
