Trump calls PM ‘two-faced’ over palace gossiping

TRUMP CALLS PM ‘TWO-FACED’ OVER PALACE GOSSIP CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Justin Trudeau flew out of England Wednesday, leaving in his wake what one British newspaper called a “diplomatic disaster.” The prime minister was branded “twofaced” by Donald Trump after Trudeau, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and others were caught on a hot mic at a Buckingham Palace reception mocking the U.S. president.

As the NATO summit concluded Wednesday, Trump abruptly cancelled a planned news conference and returned to Washington.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer took a moment during a troop-rallying speech to his MPs to attack Trudeau for the gaffe.

“At a time when Canada needs strong relationships more than ever, Justin Trudeau’s poor judgment, lack of professionalism and love of drama continues to weaken Canada’s position on the world stage,” said Scheer. “We saw this just yesterday at the NATO summit.”

Speaking after the NDP caucus meeting, party leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters that there are a lot of valid reasons to criticize Trump, but “making the prime minister late to a cocktail party is not one.” Singh even echoed Trump’s claim that

Trudeau is “two-faced,” resurrecting a line he used in the campaign.

“Mr. Trudeau acts in one way publicly and another way privately. And the question always remains, who is the real Mr. Trudeau?” said Singh.

In a video that captured Trudeau’s remarks, the prime minister is seen talking with Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and Princess Anne.

In a comment that seemed to refer to Trump’s lengthy news conferences, Trudeau said, “He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.”

Trudeau also said Trump’s “team’s jaws drop(ped) to the floor” when the president announced the next G7 summit will be at Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington, D.C.

In response on Wednesday morning, Trump publicly called Trudeau “two-faced,” an apparent reference to both the gossipy video and the recent blackface scandal that bruised Trudeau’s election campaign in September and generated global headlines.

But in a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump added: “But honestly, with Trudeau, he’s a nice guy. I’ve found him to be a very nice guy.”

The U.S. president suggested Trudeau was upset because he had put him on the spot Tuesday for Canada not spending enough on its military.

“He’s not paying two per cent and he should be paying two per cent,” Trump said. “It’s Canada. They have money and they should be paying two per cent. So I called him out on that and I’m sure he wasn’t happy about that, but that’s the way it is.”

NBC News later reported that Trump was caught on a different hot mic laughing about his “two-faced” jab at Trudeau.

“That was funny when I said the guy is two-faced,” Trump told an unidentified person, after griping about the media in general.

Trudeau owned up to the video in a press conference on Wednesday, saying that he was indeed talking about Trump and his unexpected announcement that the next G7 meeting would be at Camp David.

“We were all surprised and, I think, pleased to learn that the next G7 will be at Camp David. I think that was an unscheduled announcement,” said Trudeau. “I think every different leader has teams who, every now and then, have their jaws drop at unscheduled surprises, like that video itself.”

The issue dominated the British press. The Mail Online headline said, “Macron, Johnson and Trudeau try to wriggle out of a diplomatic disaster after Trump storms home from NATO summit in fury after being mocked behind his back.”

Eric Miller, a global fellow of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Centre in Washington D.C., said there is no doubt Trudeau’s interaction was a mistake.

“I think he hit a nerve. If you look at the tape and you look at the reaction, it was hard not to think about high school where you have the two good-looking rich guys gossiping about the big powerful other guy,” he said.

Miller said despite that image there is no reason why this should lead to actual damage or consequences.

“The relationship is deeper and has guardrails around it, in a sense, that doesn’t allow that sort of stuff to happen easily.”

Miller said Trudeau should find a moment to say something nice about Trump, but any hurt feelings can be patched over.

This isn’t the first spat between Trudeau and Trump at a meeting of world leaders. At the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Que., Trump took issue with Trudeau’s speech about the steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the U.S.

Trump left the meeting early, tweeting that Trudeau was “very dishonest and weak.”

IT WAS HARD NOT TO THINK ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL WHERE YOU HAVE THE TWO GOOD-LOOKING RICH GUYS GOSSIPING ABOUT THE BIG POWERFUL OTHER GUY.