Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepping down as party leader after nearly 10 years in office

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he is resigning on Monday Trudeau, 53, had been able to fend off Liberal legislators worried about the polls and the loss of safe seats in two special elections, but his government was thrown into chaos last month after his deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Chrystia Freeland, abruptly resigned from the cabinet, just hours before she was set to deliver the country’s first economic update since the U.S. election. open image in gallery Trudeau said he is stepping down over ‘internal battles’ within the party “We need to take the that threat extremely seriously,” she said, adding the government needed to eschew “costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.” At Monday’s press conference, Trudeau was asked for his side of the story over the altercation with Freeland. open image in gallery Trudeau said Freeland had been ‘an incredible political partner’ “I had really hoped that she would agree to continue as my deputy prime minister and take on one of the most important files that not just this government, this country is facing, but she chose otherwise in regards to what actually happened.” He declined to give any details of their private conversations. “There will be a leadership process and the rules will unfold over the coming weeks, but I can assure you that the tools and the need to stand up for Canadians to protect Canadians in their interests and continue to fight for the economy is something that everyone in this government will be singularly focused on.” open image in gallery Trudeau insisted that the government would ‘fight’ for the interests of Canadians in the face of Trump’s tariffs Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, has become deeply unpopular in recent times thanks to booming immigration, soaring housing prices and inflation.