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Canadian PM Trudeau set to resign as party leader as polls plummet, reports say

By Paula Newton, Hanna Park and Christian Edwards, CNN

CNN  — 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce as early as Monday that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, Canadian media reports, ahead of a general election to be held later this year that he is widely expected to lose.

Trudeau will likely announce his resignation before a key national caucus meeting on Wednesday, sources told the Globe and Mail and Reuters. However, the sources stressed Trudeau has not made a final decision.

Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, is facing a mounting set of crises, from Donald Trump’s tariff threats to the resignation of key allies and disastrous opinion polls. His resignation would be seen as the PM choosing to jump before he is pushed.

The move would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader before the general election, where polls show it is set to badly lose to the opposition Conservative Party, led by the firebrand Pierre Poilievre. The election must be held on or before October 20, but could be brought forward.

It is unclear if Trudeau would also step down immediately as prime minister or remain in post until a new leader is selected. The Liberal Party national executive, which controls leadership issues, is scheduled to meet this week, likely after the caucus.

Trudeau’s government was rocked by the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland – just hours before she was due to deliver her annual fiscal update.

In a blistering letter of resignation, she criticized Trudeau’s “political gimmicks,” likely referring to a two-month sales tax holiday and 250 Canadian dollar ($175) rebates for most workers.

Freeland said Canada could “ill afford” these policies, seen as a pre-election handout to claw back some voters, and coming as the country faces the serious prospect of huge tariffs which could be levied by the incoming Trump administration.

Trump, set to return to the White House on January 20, has said he will sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all products coming into the US from Canada. Trump has also taken to belittling Trudeau and the country of Canada on social media, referring to the prime minister as the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”

Trudeau took the Liberals to power in 2015, promising “sunny ways” for Canada. He championed progressive issues like combating climate change and addressing historic abuses against Indigenous peoples, but the latter years of his premiership have been marked by rising economic discontent.

A viral confrontation with a steel worker, who criticized Trudeau for not addressing the high cost of living, captured the growing discontent among Canadians.

“You’re not really doing anything for us, Justin,” the worker remarked, highlighting a sentiment that resonated widely.

CNN’s Lex Harvey contributed reporting.

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