By Canadian Press

Obama weighs in on federal election, urges Canadians to vote Trudeau

Oct 16, 2019 | 11:51 AM

OTTAWA — Former U.S. president Barack Obama is urging Canadians to re-elect Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

In a message Wednesday on Twitter, Obama said that while he was president he was proud to work with Trudeau. He called him a “hard-working, effective leader” who has taken on major issues like climate change.

“The world needs his progressive leadership now, and I hope our neighbours to the north support him for another term,” Obama wrote.

Obama’s endorsement landed with less than a week left in Canada’s federal election campaign, and with polls suggesting Trudeau is locked in a tight race with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

Trudeau and Obama quickly developed a close friendship after the Liberals won the 2015 election — and they appear to have maintained their bond even after the end of Obama’s second presidential term in January 2017.

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They had dinner together last spring at an Ottawa-area restaurant while Obama was in the capital to headline a speaking event in front of more than 11,000 paying attendees. The former president has long been popular with many Canadians.

Minutes after Obama’s tweet, Trudeau received another endorsement from a prominent American: Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada.

Heyman, who was appointed envoy by Obama, wrote that he and the former president got to work directly with Trudeau. He said they saw “his dedication and effectiveness” as a leader. 

“Canada has been very well served with (Justin Trudeau) as their Prime Minister,” Heyman wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 16, 2019.

The Canadian Press