Donald Trump: Ministers Joly, LeBlanc travel to Florida

Two members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet will be in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday to meet with members of Donald Trump’s team.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and newly appointed Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc are making the trip south to further discussions with members of the future Trump administration, ahead of inauguration day on Jan. 20.

“They look forward to continuing the discussions that took place when the Prime Minister met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month,” said Jean-Sébastien Comeau, director of communications for Minister LeBlanc, in a statement.

The duo is also looking to build off a “positive call” the ministers had with Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, earlier this month.

In an exclusive interview with CTV’s Power Play host Vassy Kapelos on Dec. 19, Homan called border talks with Canada “positive.”

“The conversation I have in Canada, I couldn’t ask for a better conversation,” Homan said.

“Of course, actions have to follow, but I’m very optimistic from the conversation I had that we’re going to come up with a good border security plan.”

Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports if the country doesn’t take sufficient action to address the flow of illegal drugs and migrants over the shared border.

Last week, the federal government laid out a five-pillared approach to boosting border security, but it didn’t provide specifics about where and how $1.3 billion in funding earmarked in the fall economic statement will be allocated.

Friday’s trip to Palm Beach, Fla., will focus on what Canada has done so far to address Trump’s border concerns.

“The Ministers intend to focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration and the measures outlined in Canada’s Border Plan, as well as the negative impacts that the imposition of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States,” Comeau said in his statement.

The meetings also come amid repeated and ongoing online comments from Trump about Canada becoming “the 51st state” and the prime minister being its governor.

“…To Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, whose Citizens’ Taxes are far too high, but if Canada was to become our 51st State, their Taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other Country anywhere in the World,” read in part a Christmas Day message posted by Trump on Truth Social, his own social media platform.

The Prime Minister’s Office has not directly addressed the repeated comments by Trump.

With files from CTV News’ Mike Le Couteur and Stephanie Ha