Trudeau calls idea of banning Trump from Canada ‘irresponsible’

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s call for the federal government to bar U.S. President Donald Trump from coming to Canada for the G7 summit this June.

At an event in Montreal Thursday, Trudeau said he sees the idea of banning Trump as an “irresponsible” approach to governance and relationships with other nations.

“It’s easy for politicians these days to toss out easy and shocking things to say. We see a lot of it around the world these days. I’m not one of those Canadian politicians,” Trudeau said when asked about Singh’s comments.

During a speech in Montreal on Wednesday, Singh said Trump should not be allowed into the country to due to his threats against Canada’s sovereignty and his criminal convictions.

“We need to ban Donald Trump from attending the G7 summit. Donald Trump should not be welcome here,” Singh said.

“Why would we invite someone who has threatened our very democracy, our very sovereignty? Why would we invite someone who has threatened our economic well-being?”

While Trudeau did not mention Singh specifically in his comments, he was responding to a journalist’s question about the NDP leader’s remarks.

As president of the G7 group of the world’s most advanced economies this year, Canada will host to the annual G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta. in June.

An Alberta man’s petition asking Ottawa to bar Trump from entering the country for the meeting has garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press