Trump says call with Canada’s Trudeau ended ‘somewhat friendly’

President Trump said he told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he is to blame for the trade problems the U.S. has with Canada, amid the tariffs the president has placed on the northern neighbor.

In two Truth Social posts Wednesday, Mr. Trump said Mr. Trudeau called him to discuss the tariffs placed on Canadian goods. He accused the prime minister of exploiting the trade dispute to remain in power.

“I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped,” Mr. Trump wrote. “He said that it’s gotten better, but I said, ’That’s not good enough.’”

Mr. Trump said the call ended in a “’somewhat’ friendly manner,” but the Canadian leader couldn’t provide a date for when there would be an election in Canada. Mr. Trudeau announced in January that he would be resigning.

“I then realized he is trying to use this issue to stay in power. Good luck Justin!,” the president wrote.

In a second post, Mr. Trump said he told Mr. Trudeau that “he largely caused the problems we have with them because of his Weak Border Policies, which allowed tremendous amounts of Fentanyl, and Illegal Aliens, to pour into the United States.”

“These Policies are responsible for the death of many people!” he said.

Mr. Trump placed a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico Tuesday, along with a smaller amount, 10%, on Canadian energy imports.

He had delayed the tariffs in February for a month after talks with Mr. Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in which promises were made to step up security at their borders to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Mr. Trudeau said Tuesday that the tariffs were “very dumb” and placed 25% tariffs on American goods and said they would stay there until the tariffs from the U.S. are rescinded.