Trudeau resigns as Canadian prime minister

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned on Monday as the country's leader.

"I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nation-wide competitive process," he said in a speech.

His resignation was first reported in the Canada news outlet Globe and Mail.

Trudeau has led the Liberal Party of Canada since 2013 and the country since 2015. 

He will stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected.

Trudeau's popularity among voters began to decline as far back as November 2020, roughly nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Canadian independent research-tracker poll. 

Voters reelected Trudeau in 2021, but his party failed to win a majority of votes in Parliament. And he has since faced criticism from the Conservative opposition for some of his pandemic and post-pandemic policies. Among the concerns are high unemployment, the escalating cost of housing and inflation that reached 8% after the pandemic.

By the time Trump laid down his tariff threat on Canada in late-November, Trudeau's approval rating at about 28%, while his disapproval rating was roughly 67%. 

Adding to Trudeau's woes, Canada Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigning after the tariff threat.