EDITORIAL: Bad news: Trump is getting to Trudeau

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What was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinking when, out of nowhere, he criticized Americans for never having elected a female president?

That’s their business, not ours.

Trudeau’s gratuitous shot did nothing to advance Canada’s case in the face of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports as soon as he becomes president on Jan. 20.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who chairs the premiers’ Council of the Federation, said the premiers let Trudeau know during a virtual meeting with the PM that his comments were “not helpful at all.”

“Donald Trump was elected democratically,” Ford told The Canadian Press. “If you like him or you don’t like him, that’s not our issue.” Exactly.

Ford said he was sure Trudeau “got the message loud and clear.”

Let’s hope so.

To us, Trudeau’s comments, which he made during an Equal Voice Foundation dinner in Ottawa while once again proclaiming himself to be a “feminist,” sounded like a passive-aggressive shot at Trump for mocking him as the potential governor of Canada as a 51st U.S. state.

Trudeau was implying that, if Americans cared about equal rights for women, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris would have defeated Trump on Nov. 5.

If Trudeau is going to let every silly insult aimed at him by Trump get to him, he’s not going to be the leader Canada needs to confront Trump on tariffs.

Everyone knows this is how Trump operates — he insults political opponents — but it means nothing.

Trump used to belittle Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as “little Marco” before submitting him to the Senate as his nominee for secretary of state.

Finally, if Trudeau wants to trade insults with Trump then at least have them grounded in reality.

Canada has never had a female prime minister win an election.

The only time we had a female prime minister was when the Progressive Conservatives elected Kim Campbell to replace Brian Mulroney and she was promptly defeated by then-Liberal leader Jean Chretien with the PCs reduced to two seats.

While we’re on the subject, with Trudeau boasting about his “feminist” credentials, perhaps he could explain why the federal Liberals, unlike every other party in the House of Commons, have never had a female leader.