Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concerns on Tuesday about the state of women’s progress, citing Kamala Harris’s defeat in the U.S. presidential election as a setback and pointing to broader challenges facing women’s rights. Speaking at an Equal Voice gala in Ottawa, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s representation in politics, Trudeau warned that women’s rights are increasingly under threat from “regressive” and “reactionary” political forces.
Trudeau specifically called attention to the erosion of abortion rights, saying politicians opposed to a woman’s right to choose are “winning too often.” Acknowledging the challenges ahead, he urged feminists and allies to remain vigilant and steadfast. “We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult, march towards progress,” Trudeau said. “Yet, just weeks ago, the United States, for a second time, chose not to elect its first woman president.” He lamented that “women’s rights and women’s progress” are “under attack.”
The prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to feminism, stating, “I am and always will be a proud feminist. You will always have an ally in me and my government.”
While Trudeau did not explicitly name U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, his remarks could be interpreted as a critique of Trump’s policies, particularly regarding the Supreme Court justices Trump appointed, who ultimately overturned abortion protections in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Harris’s loss in the November election also dashed the hopes of many Americans who aspired to see a woman in the Oval Office.
The comments drew criticism from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a Trump ally who has been appointed to co-lead a “department of government efficiency” tasked with reducing federal spending. Musk responded to a social media post mocking Trudeau’s remarks about Harris, calling the Canadian prime minister “an insufferable tool” and predicting his political downfall.
The exchange comes amid strained Canada-U.S. relations. Trump recently mocked Trudeau on social media, referring to him as the “governor” of the “great state” of Canada and suggesting that if Canada struggles under trade imbalances, it might as well join the United States. Trump has also floated the possibility of a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian imports, prompting Trudeau to indicate that Canada is preparing a response. Canada previously imposed retaliatory tariffs during Trump’s administration after similar measures targeted Canadian steel and aluminum.
