'Special place in hell': Trump advisers blast Trudeau for comments at G7 summit

Top advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump are launching blistering attacks on Justin Trudeau for comments he made at the end of the G7 leaders' summit this weekend, with one going as far as to say the prime minister deserves a "special place in hell."

Speaking Saturday after Trump had departed forSingaporeahead of themuch-anticipated North Korea meeting,Trudeau reiterated Canada's stance on the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum: The duties are "insulting," Canada won't be pushed around,and heplans toretaliate with dollar-for-dollar tariffs.

The remarksdrew some sharp words from Trump's top aides on Sunday's political talk shows.

"There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," trade adviser Peter Navarro told Fox News.

He blasted Trudeau for having positive conversations with the president during the G7 meetings, then changing his tune in a "stunt press conference."

Trudeau's commentsonly included statements he's previously made,the Prime Minister's Office pointed out in a statement, adding that Trudeau had made those remarks privately to Trump as well.

Trudeau closing press conference at G7 summit

6 years ago

Duration 42:20

Prime Minster Justin Trudeau speaks to reporters at the conclusion of the G7 leaders summit in Charlevoix, Que.

High-stakes North Korea summit

Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow also slammed Trudeau's message on CNN's State of the Union, suggestingit was a betrayal of the U.S. president before Trump meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong-unin Singapore Tuesday.

"You don't walk away and start firing bullets," Kudlowsaid.

"POTUSis not going to let a Canadian prime minister push him around on the eve of this," he said firmly. "Kimmust not see American weakness."

Trudeau has done a "great disservice" to the G7 by saying Canada had to stand up for itself and that the U.S. was responsible for the problem with tariffs, Kudlowadded.

The volleyscome after Trump himself unleashed a string of tweets attacking the prime minister, sent from Air Force One as he was en route to Singapore.

It seemed thetwo-day G7leaders' summit in La Malbaie, Que., had avoided descending into chaosover trade disagreements after a jointcommuniqusigned by all seven participating nations was issued Saturday.

But minutes after the official release of the document, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the communiquciting "false statements" by Trudeau and calling the Canadian leader"very dishonest and weak."

On Sunday, both Trump aides also said while a NAFTA deal was close, Canada's "stunts" jeopardize any progress made on the trade front.The prime minister's actions are "bungling the trade relationship," Navarro said, adding that the news conference was "nothing short of an attack on our political system."

Though tensions are running high among White House officials, it seems not every Republican appreciates the tone.

Sen. John McCaintweeted that Americans stand with Canada even if the president doesn't.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper also weighed in on the dispute on Fox Newson Sunday morning.

"I can understand why President Trump, why the American peoplefeel they need some better trade relationships," he said."[But] this is the wrong target."

Harper went on to say he doesn't understand the obsession the U.S. has with Canadian trade, and that he learned during his time in office to keep disagreements between the two countries isolated to those particular issues, in order not to spoil the overall relationship.

Foreign affairs minister on tariffs, comments from U.S. officials

6 years ago

Duration 1:12

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland remarks on comments from U.S. officials attacking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and her thoughts on the steel and aluminum tariffs.

Speaking from the G7 summit site on Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister ChrystiaFreelandsaidthe real offencefor her remained the U.S. tariffs. But, she added, the insults from theU.S. officials were not appreciated.

"Canada does not believe that ad hominem attacks are a particularly appropriate or useful way to conduct our relations with other countries," she said.

Freeland said her focus will remain on fighting the "illegal" duties on steel and aluminum not the verbal snubs from the White House.

"The most important thing is deedsrather than words," she said.

Trudeau didn't respond to reporters' questions when he arrived at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City on Sunday morning and has so far not engaged the U.S. president on Twitter.