Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined other political leaders and diplomats in praising and reflecting on Joe Biden’s achievements, and the Canadian government stands ready to work with Americans regardless of who they vote for as their next president this fall.
Biden abruptly announced Sunday that he was ending his campaign for reelection.
“I have known President Biden for many years. He is a great man and everything he does is guided by love of country,” Trudeau wrote. In a statement He said shortly after the announcement: “As president, he has been a partner and true friend to the Canadian people. I thank President Biden and the First Lady.”
The two last met two weeks ago, when Biden was in Washington for the NATO summit, and doubts were swirling about his reelection bid after his disastrous debate defeat. Trudeau told reporters: “We are fortunate to have Biden providing leadership on the world stage at such a critical time.”
On Sunday, Trudeau’s cabinet members appeared on X to praise Biden’s work. About the environment and Defense and Security.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about U.S. President Joe Biden’s intellectual acuity during the NATO summit as questions swirled about whether he could win reelection against President Donald Trump.
U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen said Sunday that Biden’s five decades in public service “will be his lasting legacy.”
“I am proud to say that every day I serve the United States and represent my friend President Biden in Canada, and it will remain the honour of a lifetime to serve for the remainder of his term,” Cohen said in a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman Earlier this month He said he did not believe Biden was capable of running for president or serving another term and was “pleased” that Biden had decided to drop out of the race.
“I knew it would come eventually… I thought the time had come,” he told CBC News Network in an interview Sunday night.
“What an incredible, selfless act. He will go down in history as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and someone who made significant contributions throughout his 50-plus year career,” said Heyman, who was sworn in as ambassador by Biden when he was vice president.
Canada’s top diplomat in Washington reflected on Biden’s achievements on Sunday, calling him an “experienced, thoughtful and committed leader.”
“The U.S.-Canada relationship has flourished under his leadership as we work together on issues important to both the United States and Canada, from economic security to climate change action to supporting Ukraine,” Kirsten Hillman, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, said in a statement to CBC News.
Biden is no stranger to Canada, having deep personal and professional ties to the country even before he became president in 2021 and served as Barack Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017.
Biden’s first wife’s family was from Toronto, where they visited frequently until she and her infant daughter were killed in a horrific car accident in 1972. Biden has said his sons grew up in Delaware and wanted to become mounted police officers.
Kamala Harris loves Canada
Biden on Sunday voiced his support for Vice President Kamala Harris, explaining why he chose her as his running mate: “It’s the best decision I’ve made.”
Harris also has strong ties to Canada.
At age 12, Harris and her sister moved from California to Montreal with their mother, who taught at McGill University and conducted research at the Jewish General Hospital.
Harris lived in the city for five years and graduated from Westmount High School in 1981.
During a phone call with Trudeau in 2021, Harris “reminisced fondly” about her time in office, she said in a summary of the conversation read aloud.
Chinnie and Shankar Subash, the Canadian aunt and uncle of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, appeared with Rosemary Barton in an exclusive interview on Rosemary Barton Live to talk about their niece’s upbringing and how they plan to celebrate Wednesday’s historic inauguration.
The two leaders most recently met in Philadelphia in May, where they “emphasized the deep-rooted partnership between Canada and the United States” and “reaffirmed their commitment to advancing shared labour priorities, including creating good-paying jobs, creating opportunities for workers and growing the economy,” Downing Street said at the time.
Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada, said Harris “would be a really good choice for Canada-U.S. relations” as the Democratic presidential nominee.
“Democrats and I believe that Vice President Harris is a multilateralist, along with her work within the administration. She believes America is stronger through stronger ties with NATO, North America and especially Canada.”
Biden and Trudeau lay out roadmap for rebuilding relations
Biden took office in 2021, ushering in a new era of calm in the White House after four tumultuous years under President Donald Trump, who pushed through an “America First” policy, tore up the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and upended allies’ expectations of U.S. global leadership.
Speaking virtually with Biden a month after taking office, Trudeau suggested relations between the two countries had taken a major hit under the Trump administration and said there was “a lot to rebuild.”
The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, with more than $3.6 billion in goods and services crossing the border each day.
During their first meeting, the two leaders unveiled a roadmap for rebuilding Canada-U.S. relations, a blueprint for shared priorities on key issues including combating climate change, adjusting approaches to China and rebuilding the economy after the pandemic.
U.S. President Joe Biden, in a speech to Congress, said Canadians can “always count on the United States of America.”
When Biden visited Ottawa in March 2023 — his only visit as president — he touted the longstanding friendship between Canada and the United States in an impassioned speech to Parliament.
“I mean it in my heart. You couldn’t ask for a more trustworthy ally, a more steadfast friend. And today I say to you, you can always count on the United States of America,” Biden said in a roughly 40-minute speech.
Relations between the two countries have become friendlier under the Biden administration, though not without difficulties.
Canada and the U.S. are working in lockstep on many clean tech innovations, including closer collaboration on the electric vehicle supply chain, including critical minerals, EV batteries, and semiconductors. But Biden initially intended to offer the lucrative EV tax credit only to U.S.-made cars. Canada’s concerted efforts persuaded the U.S. to extend it to North American-made cars before the credit was finalized.
On immigration, Biden and Trudeau have managed to resolve a major thorn in both governments’ minds. Negotiating border agreements The bill would allow Canada to turn away migrants from the U.S. who are trying to claim asylum at unofficial points of entry, such as Wroxham Road in Quebec. Washington has also been urging Ottawa for years to reinstate visa requirements for Mexican nationals to curb a surge in illegal immigrants from Canada to the U.S. The federal government agreed in February.
President Joe Biden spoke of the friendly relations between the two countries in an address to Congress during his first official visit to Canada as a U.S. president.
Ottawa prepares to welcome new U.S. president
What is clear at this point is that a new US president will be inaugurated in January next year.
Ottawa says it is preparing for all outcomes, whether this fall’s election produces a Republican or Democratic government.
But Trudeau acknowledged in January that Trump’s reelection was not on Canada’s wish list.
“It wasn’t easy the first time and it won’t be easy the second time,” the prime minister said in a speech in Montreal.
“We are ready for the decision the American people will make in November.”
