Chrystia Freeland kicked off her campaign to become the next prime minister of Canada on Sunday, touting herself as the best equipped leader to confront Donald Trump over trade disputes and warning of the “existential risk” he poses. At her campaign stop in Toronto, Freeland framed herself as the best-positioned candidate to confront Trump when he takes office, promising “dollar to dollar” retaliation if Trump follows through on his threat to impose 25% tariffs against Canadian exports.
Freeland, who had served for a long time as Canada’s finance minister, boasted about her tough stance in defending Canada, explaining that Trump dislikes her because of her resolute approach. She emphasized that while Canada would not escalate tensions, under her leadership, the country would never back down from a trade dispute with the US
Her campaign kick-off, to the rhythm of Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater,” also coincided with the start of a leadership contest she had precipitated by resigning as finance minister after falling out with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over how to handle US tariffs. Though Freeland’s bid is rooted in foreign policy experience, she has to overcome the challenge of disengaging from the unpopular Trudeau whom she was once so close to.
The biggest opponent of Freeland was former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who was endorsed by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. She argued that experience managing financial crises put Carney in a better position to manage the trade fallout from the United States. But Freeland branded herself as the only candidate tough enough to take on Trump.
As the election campaign heats up, Freeland’s leadership will be tested and sought to reassure the nation on domestic issues, from increasing living costs to government spending, in order to compete with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
