Donald Trump slammed Justin Trudeau as ‘two-faced’ on Wednesday after the Canadian prime minister was caught on camera at Buckingham Palace mocking the president.
‘Well, he’s two-faced,’ Trump said of him.
At a later event the president laughed at his own comment on Trudeau.
‘That was funny when I said that guy was two-faced,’ he was heard saying by reporters as they left the room.
The president also canceled his final press conference at the NATO summit, which was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, after the three world leaders were caught mocking him, and will leave the summit early.
Trump has spent more than two hours answering questions from reporters during his various sit downs with fellow NATO leaders.
‘I canceled the news conference. I’ve done so many,’ he said during a luncheon with NATO leaders Wednesday, adding: ‘I think that’s enough.’
He also wrote on Twitter: ‘When today’s meetings are over, I will be heading back to Washington. We won’t be doing a press conference at the close of NATO because we did so many over the past two days. Safe travels to all!’
Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were caught on a hot mic at the Buckingham Palace NATO reception Tuesday evening, appearing to gossip about Trump.
The Canadian prime minister wouldn’t answer a question on Wednesday if he apologized to the president for his remarks.
‘Last night I made a reference to the fact that there was an unscheduled press conference before my meeting with President Trump and I was happy to take part of it. But it was certainly notable. I’ve had a number of a good conversations with the president over today and yesterday,’ Trudeau said at a press conference.
Donald Trump slammed Justin Trudeau after prime minister was caught mocking him on a hot mic
Justin Trudeau, center, Emmanuel Macron, second right, and Boris Johnson, right, have all been caught on a hot mic at the Buckingham Palace NATO reception appearing to gossip about Donald Trump and an apparent impromptu lengthy press conference
Trump and Trudeau appeared to speak at a NATO leaders’ meeting Tuesday morning
In the clip, which appears to be edited, Trudeau makes the most cutting comments, laughing about Trump’s lengthy Q&A sessions with reporters and saying even the president’s staff was shocked at some of his actions.
Trudeau explained his remark about Trump’s team jaw dropping was at the president’s announcement next June’s G7 meeting, which will be hosted by the United States, will be held at Camp David.
‘We were all surprised and I think pleased to learn that the next G7 will be at Camp David. I think that was an unscheduled announcement and I think everyone’s team, everyone different leader has teams that every now and then have their jaw drop at unscheduled surprises like that video itself for example,’ Trudeau said.
He said that came up because his fellow G7 leaders wanted to know the details about their next gathering.
‘As we talk to G7 leaders there is an interest in where the next G7 meeting is going to be and I was pleased to share with them the story of how that came about, that we are going to be gathering, apparently, at Camp David,’ Trudeau said.
Trump, during his Tuesday meeting with Trudeau, said, in response from a question from the press, that next year’s G7 meeting will be held at Camp David.
Originally Trump announced it would be held it at his Doral, Fla., golf course but he reversed that decision when even some Republicans criticized it as inappropriate.
‘We’ll do it at Camp David,’ he said Tuesday. ‘It’s nearby. It’s close. We’re going to give good access to the press. … It will be at camp David which is a place that people like.’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would not say at a press conference on Wednesday if he’s apologized to Trump for his remarks
Trudeau would not say what he and Trump talked about Wednesday morning at a NATO leaders’ meeting
Trudeau repeated at his press conference Wednesday that he has a strong relationship with Trump.
‘The relationship we have with United States is very strong and I have a very good relationship with President Trump and his team,’ he said.
But the president did not look amused when reporters asked him about the hot mic video during his meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel.
‘Honestly with Trudeau, he’s a nice guy,’ the president added after a long pause.
He then explained his theory on why Trudeau said what he did, arguing the prime minister mocked him because he gave Trudeau grief during their sit down on Tuesday about Canada not paying enough in fees to be a member of the NATO alliance.
‘I find him to be a very nice guy but you know the truth is that I called him out on the fact that he’s not paying 2 per cent and I guess he’s not very happy about it,’ Trump said.
‘He’s not paying 2 per cent, and he should be paying 2 per cent. It’s Canada. They have money. And they should be paying 2 per cent. So I called him out on that, and I’m sure he wasn’t happy about that, but that’s the way it is. Look, I’m representing the U.S. And he should be paying more than he’s paying. And he understands it. So I can imagine he’s not that happy. But that’s the way it is,’ he added.
Trump and Trudeau appeared to speak at a photos session for NATO leaders on Wednesday morning but it’s unclear what was discussed.
At their Tuesday meeting, Trump noted Canada is ‘slightly delinquent’ in its NATO payments but added: ‘But they’ll be okay. I have confidence.’
‘Some are way below 1 per cent and that’s unacceptable. And then if something happens we’re supposed to protect them and it’s not really fair and it never has been fair and they’re paying up,’ he added.
After his comments, the two leaders engaged in a back-and-forth on how much Canada pays NATO.
‘Well, we’ll put them on a payment plan, right?,’ Trump said of America’s neighbor to the north. ‘I’m sure the prime minister would love that. What are you at? What is your number?’
But Trudeau defended Canada’s payments.
He said that ‘the number we talked about is 70 per cent increase over these past years including and for the coming years, I think including significant investments in our fighter jets, significant investments in our naval fleets. We are increasing significantly our defense spending from previous governments that cut it.’
Trump and Trudeau during the NATO leaders plenary session on Wednesday morning
President Donald Trump, at a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asked him about Canada’s payments to NATO
In a clip being widely shared online the three world leaders seem to be discussing why the French President was late during the London summit. Princess Anne also appears to be in the discussion, left, but it is unclear if or how she responds
The Princess Royal, right, talks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, center, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, during a reception at Buckingham Palace, London, as NATO leaders attend to mark 70 years of the alliance
But Trump wanted a hard number for what Canada pays and asked for it: ‘Where are you now in terms of your number?’
Trudeau said Canada was at 1.4 per cent and ‘continuing to move forward.’
Trump nodded and pointed out ‘they’re getting there. They know it’s important to do that. And their economy is doing well. They’ll get there quickly I think.’
The president has pushed for NATO member nations to pay 2 per cent.
But it was a clip from a leaders’ reception at Buckingham Palace that was the talk of social media late Tuesday night, in which Trudeau was caught mocking the president.
In the clip, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asks: ‘Is that why you were late?’ as he stoops down and chuckles in disbelief, before Trudeau, swigging from his drink, shoots back: ‘He was late because he takes a 40 minute press conference off the top.’
The video then cuts to a later clip, which is without context, and sees Macron pointing furiously before Dutch PM Mark Rutte exclaims ‘fake news media’ and Trudeau adds: ‘You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor.’
He then motions as if his jaw is dropping.
Princess Anne also appears to be involved in the discussion but it is unclear if or how she responds.
The clip was first shared by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Pictures from the event show the Princess Royal talking to Johnson and Trudeau.