June 10, 2018

Trump’s Chief Economic Adviser Says Justin Trudeau “Stabbed Us in the Back”

Another White House official suggested there was a “special place in hell” for the prime minister.

President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of “betrayal,” after Trudeau defended Canada against Trump’s proposed tariffs and announced that he would be moving forward with retaliatory measures against the US.

“He was polarizing,” Kudlow said during a Sunday morning appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “You know, here’s the thing. He really kind of stabbed us in the back. He really actually, you know what, he did a great disservice to the whole G-7.”

When pressed on how exactly Trudeau may have betrayed the US, Kudlow revealed that the White House was interpreting Trudeau’s comments as a stunt designed to threaten Trump’s much-anticipated upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week. “Kim must not see American weakness,” he said.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro went a step further, suggesting to Fox News Sunday morning that there’s a “special place in hell” for the Canadian prime minister.

The remarks on Sunday escalate a pair of shocking tweets by Trump from the day before, in which the president charged a “dishonest and weak” Trudeau with making false statements. Completely upending an already fraught G-7 summit, Trump also announced that the US would be pulling out of a joint G-7 agreement.

Kudlow’s appearance on CNN Sunday makes clear that the White House isn’t pleased with the timing of Trudeau’s relatively staid remarks, as they came just days before Trump is set to sit down with Kim.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate