(UPDATE: Feb. 28 at 11:27 am): Chrystia Freeland and Pierre Poilievre have responded after US President Donald Trump attacked them during an interview with a British magazine.
Poilievre, who Trump said was “not a Trump guy at all" and was making “a big mistake” by playing “the tough guy," agreed, in part, with the president.
He tweeted that "it is true" that he's "not MAGA."
There’s a reason Trump called me a “whack.” There’s a reason he complained about my negotiating skills. There’s a reason Putin kicked me out of Russia, too.
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) February 28, 2025
I don’t back down—and Trump and Putin know it.
I’m ready to fight for Canada—and win.
The Tory leader added: "I am for Canada First. Always. Canada has always been America’s best friend & ally. But we will NEVER be the 51st state."
Freeland, meanwhile, also leaned into Trump's comments, saying there's a reason he called her a "whack."
Mr. President, it is true.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) February 28, 2025
I am not MAGA.
I am for Canada First. Always.
Canada has always been America’s best friend & ally.
But we will NEVER be the 51st state. pic.twitter.com/UJKha8FFYf
"There’s a reason he complained about my negotiating skills," she added. "There’s a reason Putin kicked me out of Russia, too. I don’t back down—and Trump and Putin know it.
"I’m ready to fight for Canada—and win."
(Original story: Feb. 28 at 8:40 am): US President Donald Trump has branded Chrystia Freeland “terrible” and said Pierre Poilievre is “not a Trump guy at all.”
In an interview with The Spectator, a British magazine, he said he knows Freeland “very well.”
“She’s absolutely terrible for the country,” he said. “She’s incompetent in many respects and can only cause ill will for Canada.”
The president also claimed Justin Trudeau “fired” Freeland “because of a meeting he had with me.”
The former finance minister is “a whack,” Trump said.
"Who's the worst person to stand up to Donald Trump? Pierre Poilievre. He worships the man." @MarkJCarney pic.twitter.com/QfF0tJJ8gv
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) February 26, 2025
On Poilievre, Trump said the Tory leader’s “biggest problem is he’s not a MAGA guy.”
“He’s not a Trump at all,” the president said, a direct contradiction of claims made by the Liberal Party and its leadership candidates.
Trump added that Poilievre was making “a big mistake” by playing “the tough guy” and saying he’s “going to knock out Trump.” He concluded: “I don’t like what he’s saying about me. It’s just not positive about me.”
The Liberals and NDP have both sought to draw comparisons between Poilievre and Trump in recent months, with the pollsters’ favourite to become the next prime minister, Mark Carney, even claiming the Tory leader “worships” Trump.
President Trump's tariffs are wrong and unjustified. Canada must respond in kind with matching tariffs on American aluminium and steel.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) February 11, 2025
We need a strong government who will stand up for our people and put Canada First: https://t.co/eIy7PDtCaB pic.twitter.com/SFXYWPvkNY
Poilievre, for his part, has made no comments suggesting he is fond of Trump.
Just this week, Poilievre accused Carney of lying about his role in Brookfield Asset Management’s decision to move its headquarters out of Canada to “Donald Trump’s hometown of New York.”
He has also blasted Trump’s threats of applying a 25 per cent on Canadian goods as "unfair and unjustified” and rejected the president’s plan to annex Canada.
Neither Poilievre nor Freeland has yet commented about Trump's remarks.
