Donald Trump’s mocking of Trudeau as a “governor” reportedly began after the Canadian leader complained to Trump in person, during a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, home, about the negative effects that Trump’s proposed hike in tariffs on products imported into the U.S. from Canada would have on the latter.

Trump also claimed in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" in early December 2024 that "we're subsidizing Canada to the tune of over $100 billion a year," — 1,000 times the amount in his Truth Social post — which was amplified by social media users on Facebook ( archived ).