An anonymous White House official dismissed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “that little punk kid running Canada,” according to President Donald Trump’s economic advisor.
As the Washington Examiner reports, Larry Kudlow — who has had his own choice words for Trudeau — made the comments Wednesday night in an after-dinner speech at an American Spectator magazine event. (RELATED: Kudlow: Trudeau Betrayed Us ‘Stabbed Us In The Back’)
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow gives a press briefing about upcoming G7 in the White House in Washington, U.S., June 6, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
While Kudlow lauded Trump’s efforts to deregulate the American economy and oversee the dawn of a revitalized economy, he got around to the recently concluded U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) that at times seemed fated to be a bilateral and not trilateral trade deal — so apparent was the animosity that Trump had for Trudeau and chief Canadian trade negotiator Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland. (RELATED: Trump Says He Rejected Trudeau Meeting —Trudeau Says He Didn’t Ask)
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland during news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
But Kudlow said it was Trump’s toughness that secured the arrangement. As he told the story, the U.S. forged a deal.
“A friend of mine in the White House, who will go unnamed, said, ‘You know, I know why you’re supporting this deal Larry, it’s because we made a deal. We didn’t walk away, we didn’t end it, we made a deal. Alright? ‘Spite that little punk kid running Canada, we still made it,'” Kudlow said, referring to Trudeau. “And I’ve had some wonderful run-ins with him.”
