Trudeau turns down White House invitation amid pandemic

Jul 07, 20200

Justin Tang – Canadian Press via AP count

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Ontario, on Thursday, June 18, 2020.

TORONTO - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has turned down a White House invitation to celebrate the new regional free trade agreement in Washington with U.S President Donald Trump and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Trump and López Obrador are due to meet Wednesday Washington, but Trudeau spokesperson Chantal Gagnon said Monday that while Canada wishes the U.S. and Mexico well, Trudeau won't be there.

"While there were recent discussions about the possible participation of Canada, the prime minister will be in Ottawa this week for scheduled Cabinet meetings and the long-planned sitting of Parliament," Gagnon said.

https://www.startribune.com/trudeau-turns-down-white-house-invitation-amid-pandemic/571643312/