Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on January 6, 2025, ending his nine-year governance. The 53-year-old leader cited "internal battles" inside the Liberal Party and personal issues as major factors for his resignation.

Trudeau has governed Canada since 2015 and announced that he will continue in office until a new leader is chosen. Meanwhile, Parliament was halted until March 24, 2025.

In a news conference, Trudeau thanked Canadians for their support while addressing his leadership challenges. "This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," he told reporters.

The news provoked different kinds of reactions from politicians and the general population. Supporters praise Trudeau for his progressive policies and efforts to improve Canada's global reputation, but opponents say ethical failures and unmet promises have impaired his leadership.

US President-elect Donald Trump extended his offer on Monday to make Canada the 51st state to join the US, just hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned. Since his first meeting with Trudeau after his electoral victory at Mar-a-Lago on November 5, Trump, 78, who has never had a good rapport with Trudeau, even during his first term from 2017 to 2021, has been promoting the concept of making Canada the 51st state in the union. Since then, he has made many references to this in his posts on social media.

Trump stated on Truth Social that being the 51st State is something that many Canadians adore; the enormous trade deficits and subsidies Canada requires to remain afloat cannot be tolerated by the United States any longer. Justin Trudeau quit after realising this.  Toronto is unable to curb the flow of illegal narcotics and migrants from its southern border with the United States; Trump has threatened to put 25% tariffs on Canadian products.

In several of his posts, Trump even called Trudeau the "Governor of the Great State of Canada." 

The Liberal Party is now looking for a new leader to carry the party forward. Potential replacements include Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne.

Liberals will now nominate a new leader to lead the party into the next general election, which must occur on or before October 20. A high-ranking government official told the news organisation BBC that the race is open and that the Prime Minister's Office will keep out of it entirely, leaving it up to Liberal Party members to determine their political destiny. Speaking to reporters, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet urged that an early election be held once the Liberals had chosen a new leader.

Trudeau's resignation symbolises the end of an era in Canadian politics, leaving behind a complicated legacy that will be reviewed and argued in the coming years.