| NOISY RELATIONSHIP — Team Canada's Ottawa wing has its work cut out for it. President-elect DONALD TRUMP is now promising to apply “economic force” to take control of Canada. “Canada and the United States, that would really be something. You get rid of that artificially drawn line and take a look at what that looks like,” Trump said Tuesday. “And it would also be much better for national security. Don’t forget, we basically protect Canada.” He later posted a couple of maps to make his point.
— Lion finds his courage: For months, Trudeau dismissed Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state as a joke. But following his resignation as party leader on Monday, the PM found his edge.
“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Trudeau shot back on X. The Liberal Party also had a map to share.
18: The number of days between Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE first rejecting Canada joining the U.S. and the PM finally saying so explicitly (though he nodded cheekily to Trump's threat over the holidays).
— Team Canada up in the air: Trump’s repeated promise to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods is a constant source of uncertainty for Canadians workers and businesses. Cabinet could soon be in flux as key ministers mull leadership runs. Even the PM doesn’t know what a leadership race will mean for a Canada-U.S. Cabinet committee stacked with contenders. The committee already lost its chair, CHRYSTIA FREELAND, following her explosive exit from Cabinet last month. On Monday, Trudeau sidestepped a question about whether ministers would have to leave Cabinet if they want his job. He promised his government remains focused on protecting Canadians’ interests. The Hill Times has more on this. — For what it's worth: Immigration Minister MARC MILLER, a close friend of the PM, told CBC on Monday: “Intuitively, I think they would have to leave Cabinet.” “I don’t know how we could get work done with someone that decided to stay. People would probably make it a political issue that they were leveraging their Cabinet (position),” he said on “Power & Politics.” — Contenders and their contacts: Ministers who might vie for leadership ... → Foreign Affairs Minister MÉLANIE JOLY, who maintains a friendship with Senate Budget Chair LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.). → Finance Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC, who along with Joly was liaising with Commerce Secretary nominee HOWARD LUTNICK and Interior Secretary nominee DOUG BURGUM. → Industry Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE, who has forged connections with congressional lawmakers. — Top of Newswatch this morning: A fresh CNN story with this take: "Canada’s Freeland has called Trump ‘a bully.’ She could be its next prime minister." — Lots to discuss: Liberal MPs gather today for the first time since Trudeau’s resignation. Now that the elephant in the room has been addressed, MPs say the caucus meeting is expected to focus on leadership contest rules and taking on Poilievre. The Liberal Party wouldn’t say if its president, SACHIT MEHRA, will speak to caucus — as some MPs hope, but said rules for the upcoming leadership race will “take some time.” | 
