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 home, about the negative effects that Trump’s proposed hike in tariffs on products imported from Canada would have on his country.

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 ).