Trudeau says he's "watching processes in the United States unfold"

Nov 6 2020, 6:37 pm

As results from the US election continue to play out, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked on Friday for his thoughts the political situation south of the border.

“Obviously we are watching … the processes in the United States unfold as their electoral process is underway,” said Trudeau during a press conference. “We will continue to have confidence in the American institutions that have managed their electoral processes over many decades and indeed centuries.”

The Canadian government, he said, “will continue to be alert so we can ensure we’re protecting Canadian interests and Canadian values in regards to our closest trading partner and nearest neighbour.”

In October, Trudeau said he was ready for “any outcome” of this year’s race, but he has been relatively quiet on the proceedings since voting day this past Tuesday.

Asked what he would need to see happen before Canada officially congratulates a winner in this year’s election, Trudeau said that when it comes to US electoral processes, “it is extremely important that they be able to unfold in an appropriate way, without foreign interventions or interferences with the elections.”

And while “we always think about the concern of hostile actors intervening in electoral processes, even friends can have an influence on public discourse around internal processes that are key to defending democratic institutions.”

This, he said, is why “we’re going to remain very cautious about making any pronouncements in regards to the electoral processes in the US until the outcome is sufficiently clear.”

Eric ZimmerEric Zimmer

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