Trudeau’s Ministers Meet Trump Administration at Mar-a-Lago for Border Security Talks

Trudeau’s Ministers Engage with Trump Administration on Border Security

Two top ministers for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are in Florida to discuss border security with the incoming Trump administration, as the president-elect threatens to slap tariffs on all Canadian products.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly arrived Thursday in Palm Beach, said Jean-Sébastien Comeau, a spokesperson for LeBlanc. They met with Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and Interior Department nominee Doug Burgum, as a follow-up to the dinner between the prime minister and Trump last month, a readout from LeBlanc’s office said.

“Both Ministers outlined the measures in Canada’s Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives,” the readout said.

“During their conversations, Lutnick and Burgum took note of the updates provided by both Ministers and agreed to relay information to President Trump.”

The ministers agreed to continue further discussions in the coming weeks, LeBlanc’s office said.

Lutnick, chief executive of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, has been tasked with setting the first 100 days of Trump’s trade and tariff agenda. And Burgum, the former governor North Dakota, will help steer energy policy in addition to Interior Secretary duties.

Trudeau’s government has made efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration and the measures outlined in Canada’s border plan, which includes installing surveillance towers along the border and arming the Canada Border Services Agency with more helicopters, drones and workers. They also planned to discuss the negative impacts a 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States, Comeau said.

Joly is expected to have dinner with Sen. Lindsey Graham on Friday evening in Florida.

Last week Canada unveiled a billion-dollar plan to increase border security, some of which was already shared with Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” by phone.

At the time, LeBlanc said he was feeling “optimistic” about cooperation on the issue — a sentiment also shared by Homan.

“The conversation I have in Canada, I couldn’t ask for a better conversation,” Homan said in a recent interview with CTV News. “Of course, actions have to follow, but I’m very optimistic from the conversation I had that we’re going to come up with a good border security plan.”

Trump has promised that unless Canada and Mexico can get control over migration and fentanyl, he plans to slap each country with a 25 percent tariff — even though far less comes into the U.S. from Canada than it does Mexico.

The meeting comes as Trudeau is skiing with his family in British Columbia for his annual holiday, while continuing to face pressure to step down as leader of the Liberal Party before Parliament returns days after Trump is inaugurated.

Trump continues to poke the embattled prime minister by calling him the governor of the 51st state, even encouraging hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to take his spot.

“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ’The Great One’ as he is known in Ice Hockey circles. I said, ’Wayne, why don’t you run for Prime Minister of Canada, soon to be known as the Governor of Canada – You would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign,’” Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social.

“He had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement. It would be so much fun to watch!”

Trudeau responded by posting a 2010 video on X of Tom Brokaw explaining the relationship between Canada and The United States.

“Some information about Canada for Americans,” Trudeau wrote alongside the video.

Canadian officials have been showering attention on Trump and his incoming administration, with elected leaders also engaging with their contacts as they try to prevent a tariff war.

Most recently Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai met with Donald Trump Jr. in North Carolina to talk about the Canada-U.S. relationship.