Video: Justin Trudeau bursts into tears at farewell address, says he 'put Canadians first' amid trade war with Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau became emotional during a press conference in Ottawa as he was seen shedding tears while discussing his tenure and clashes with US President Donald Trump.

"On a personal level, I've made sure that every single day in this office, I put Canadians first, that I have people's backs," Trudeau said in his farewell remarks before breaking down in tears.

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"And that's why I'm here to tell you all that we got you. Even in the very last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down today and long into the future," he added, as seen in a video circulating online.

During the press briefing held on March 7, Trudeau highlighted his administration's achievements. He said that Canada had reached a deal with 11 of 13 provinces and territories to extend current early learning and childcare agreements until March 2031.

Trudeau's emotional speech came amid continuing tensions between Canada and the US over trade issues, particularly Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.

Trudeau has even accused Trump of targeting the Canadian economy in a bid to undermine the country’s sovereignty.

“We will never be the 51st state [of US, a jeer made by Trump], but he can do damage to the Canadian economy,” he said.

Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social, had announced previously that he plans to make Canada the 51st state of the US.

Meanwhile, Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that she takes Trump's "51st state" remark "very seriously," BBC reported.

"This is not a joke anymore," she told the news channel, adding that "there's a reason why Canadians, when they go out on a hockey game, are booing the American national anthem... We're insulted. We're mad. We're angry."