Trump Pulls U.S. Out of G-7 Statement; Officials React as US President Vents Anger on Twitter
It has been a contentious weekend for several world leaders, as Trump announced that he was pulling the US out of the Group of Seven's official statement of common values. Even as he now prepares for a historic summit with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, Trump is still on Twitter venting his anger about what went on at the G-7 conference.
Trump, clearly furious about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent statements, took to social media to call him "very dishonest and weak." It was also on social media that Trump also announced that he is instructing the administration to pull out of the G-7 communique.
As he posted on social media on Saturday, Trump was citing Trudeau's "false statements" on top of an ongoing tariff dispute with Canada. In the same message, the president has also leveled a threat about looking at "tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. market."
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This communiqué, announced by Trudeau a scant few hours after Trump has already left the G-7 conference, is supposedly a consensus on encouraging fair trade," according to NBC News.
"We acknowledge that free, fair and mutually beneficial trade and investment, while creating reciprocal benefits, are key engines for growth and job creation," part of the message read. It was not the only thing Trudeau acted on after Trump left the meeting, according to the U.S. president.
"PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will not be pushed around.' Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!" Trump tweeted on Saturday.
The attach by Trump's top economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, was particularly stinging. "He really kind of stabbed us in the back," Kudlow said to CNN on Sunday about Trudeau's statements.
Even now that Trump's team gears up for an unprecedented meeting with North Korea, Trump's social media account is still active with him venting about tariff disputes. "Fair trade is now to be called fool trade if it is not reciprocal," said Trump on social media.
Trudeau, for his part, has not made any additional statements about the matter on Sunday. His team, on the other hand, has told the media in Quebec City that they would not be pushing on with this war on words any further, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.
"Canada does not conduct its diplomacy through ad hominem attacks. We don't think that that is a useful or productive way to do business," she said, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.
