Trudeau’s Top Ministers At Mar-a-lago To Discuss Border Security

Two top ministers for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are in Florida to discuss border security with the incoming Trump administration, as the president-elect threatens to slap tariffs on all Canadian products.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly arrived Thursday in Palm Beach, said Jean-Sébastien Comeau, a spokesperson for LeBlanc.

“They look forward to building on the discussions that took place when the Prime Minister met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month, as well as the positive call the Ministers held with Mr. Tom Homan earlier this month,” Comeau said.

The ministers intended to focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration and the measures outlined in Canada’s border plan, which includes installing surveillance towers along the border and arming the Canada Border Services Agency with more helicopters, drones and workers. They also planned to discuss the negative impacts a 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States, Comeau said.

Joly is expected to have dinner with Sen. Lindsey Graham on Friday evening in Florida.

Last week Canada unveiled a billion-dollar plan to increase border security, some of which was already shared with Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” by phone.

At the time, LeBlanc said he was feeling “optimistic” about cooperation on the issue — a sentiment also shared by Homan.

“The conversation I have in Canada, I couldn’t ask for a better conversation,” Homan said in a recent interview with CTV News. “Of course, actions have to follow, but I’m very optimistic from the conversation I had that we’re going to come up with a good border security plan.”

The ministers were also expected to meet with Commerce secretary pick Howard Lutnick, a longtime friend of Trump and chief executive of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Lutnick has been tasked with setting the first 100 days of Trump’s trade and tariff agenda.

Trump has promised that unless Canada and Mexico can get control over migration and fentanyl, he plans to slap each country with a 25 percent tariff — even though far less comes into the U.S. from Canada than it does Mexico.

The meeting comes as Trudeau is skiing with his family in British Columbia for his annual holiday, while continuing to face pressure to step down as leader of the Liberal Party before Parliament returns days after Trump is inaugurated.

Trump continues to poke the embattled prime minister by calling him the governor of the 51st state, even encouraging hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to take his spot.

“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ’The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, ’Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada - You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,’” Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social.

“He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!”

Trudeau responded by posting a 2010 video on X of Tom Brokaw explaining the relationship between Canada and The United States.

“Some information about Canada for Americans,” Trudeau wrote alongside the video.

Canadian officials have been showering attention on Trump and his incoming administration, with elected leaders also engaging with their contacts as they try to prevent a tariff war.

Most recently Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai met with Donald Trump Jr. in North Carolina to talk about the Canada-U.S. relationship.