On the surface you can hardly imagine two world leaders with more differing stances than Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian Prime Minister has stuck to his pledge to re-home Syrian refugees, welcoming a record number in 2016, while Trump placed a temporary ban on people from seven majority Muslim countries and promised to introduce further “extreme vetting”.
The two neighbours stood together in the White House on Monday and the difference between them was reiterated.
“We continue to pursue our policies of openness towards immigration and refugees without compromising our security,” Trudeau said.
But the Canadian PM refused to criticise Trump’s stance on immigration, arguing that’s not what Canadians would want.
“There have been times when we have differed in our approaches, and that’s always been done firmly and respectfully. The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves.”
There was one area Trudeau wasn’t afraid to stand up against Trump on though – there was no chance he was being dominated in a handshake.
[National Geographic voiceover] Watch closely as Trudeau wards off the arm yank with a dominant shoulder grab. pic.twitter.com/9LftqCNTHG
— shauna (@goldengateblond) February 13, 2017
