Justin Trudeau Announces Resignation, Reveals ‘One Regret’ In Particular

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his plans to resign from office Monday in the wake of a public dispute with President-elect Donald Trump and plummeting popularity among even those in his own party.

The decision comes in the wake of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation, which was prompted in part by Trudeau’s spat with Trump over tariff policy. He ends his nine-year tenure as PM with a 33% approval rating, with citizens citing cost of living and immigration anxieties as top issues, according to an Ipsos poll taken in September.

The liberal prime minister clarified that he will remain in the top post until another leader is chosen.

“I intend to resign as Party leader, as Prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process,” Trudeau said Monday. “Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process.”

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me, that if I’m having to fight internal battles, that I cannot be the best option in that election,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau faced calls for his resignation from over 40 members of parliament before his decision, according to the New York Post Dec. 17. Trudeau will remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new leader is chosen.