Trudeau is in danger after a tumultuous day in Ottawa

Chrystia Freeland, the finance minister under Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, abruptly left her position, throwing the government into disarray.

A new finance minister was appointed at the conclusion of a hectic Monday, but Canadians had not yet heard personally from Trudeau as speculation about his political future escalated.

The nation's capital, which was already grappling with serious worries about Donald Trump's tariff threat, was rocked by new uncertainty with the abrupt departure of the longtime Trudeau supporter and the public publishing of her scathing resignation letter.

After taking office in January, the president-elect has threatened to put a 25% tax on Canadian imports unless the shared border is strengthened.

According to Chris Sands, director of the Wilson Center's Canada Institute, Freeland's abrupt departure simply gives Canada a confused and unsure appearance, he told the BBC. The big, bright ministers have mainly departed, leaving Trudeau feeling somewhat alone and not really connected to any of them.

In the letter, Freeland charged that Trudeau has neglected to confront the danger of Trump's strong economic nationalism in favor of expensive political ploys. Her decision, she claimed, was prompted by Trudeau's announcement last week that he no longer wanted her to serve as the government's chief economic advisor. The government was taken by surprise when she left, putting Trudeau and his precarious minority Liberals on the verge of collapse and leaving the outcome of a planned economic report up in the air for hours.

Trump's victory in the US presidential election in November, according to Mr. Sands, has produced division among US allies, including Canada. Additionally, he asked, "Do you try to find a way to avoid conflict, or do you respond to Trump by pushing back and standing firm?"

In an attempt to court Trump, Trudeau flew to the president-elect's Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, and had dinner with him last month. However, Mr. Sands claimed that Freeland's viewpoint was more in line with that of Mexico, which is likewise threatened by tariffs, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.