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“My friends, as you all know, I am a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country,” he said.

Yet he realized he could no longer continue, telling his family Sunday night he would step down, and announcing Monday in a sombre tone: “I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process.”

That race unofficially kicked off with former MP Frank Bayliss confirming he intends to run and former central banker Mark Carney telling the Star he is 鈥渆ncouraged鈥� by calls to jump in and is 鈥渃onsidering this decision closely with my family over the coming few days.鈥�

For now, Trudeau will lead the government for another two-and-a-half months or more, as Donald Trump assumes the U.S. presidency with threats of crippling tariffs on all Canadian products.

Trudeau met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon early Monday morning and received her approval to prorogue 鈥� or suspend 鈥� Parliament until March 24, citing the inability to conduct normal parliamentary business because of Conservative filibustering tactics, he told reporters.

He rejected suggestions that it was anti-democratic or unfair not to call an immediate election, saying Parliament needs a “reset.”

But he also acknowledged the obvious: so does the Liberal party.

Trudeau has faced a growing caucus mutiny since the Liberals lost key by-elections in the past six months, and his ill-fated decision to fire Chrystia Freeland as finance minister in December triggered a flood of new calls by dozens of Liberal MPs for him to step down.

“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I am having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said.

In response to Trudeau’s announcement, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to taunt the prime minister and Canadians, saying his 25 per cent tariff threat and vow to ensure Canada paid a price to the U.S. drove Trudeau to act.

“Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned,” Trump wrote, repeating his claim that Canada would be better off as a 51st state. “If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them.”

Trudeau declined to explain why he had wanted to shift Freeland out of finance last month, saying only that she rejected his appeal to remain as deputy prime minister and take on a key role in charge of the Canada-U.S. file, and wouldn’t dish on their “private” conversations.

Her dramatic departure deeply shook Trudeau to the point where he had wanted to step down that week but, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions, was persuaded not to take any immediate decision about his future and take time to reflect over the holidays.

In the end, Trudeau came to the same conclusion: that his time was up.

He will not ask for an interim leader to be installed, saying prorogation allows “time for the temperature to come down, for people to have a fresh start in Parliament and to be able to navigate through these complex times both domestically and internationally.”

It is not yet clear when a vote to replace him will take place, nor whether any of his current cabinet ministers on the front lines of the Canada-U.S. tensions will have to step aside if they want to vie for the leadership.

Liberal party sources say that a leadership election committee to be named this week by the party’s board has up to 26 days to set rules for a race, including whether sitting cabinet ministers can compete. The prime minister also can have a say in that, but on Monday he deferred to the party.

The ultimate leadership selection date depends on several factors, including venue availability. The party has discretion to adapt other rules affecting timing, sources said.

Exiting more than 15 minutes late for his announcement in front of cameras 鈥� and several months too late in the eyes of his critics 鈥� Trudeau quipped that he’d “wing it” as his speech notes flew off a podium outside his home at Rideau Cottage. It was the same spot where he used to address the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic back when his approval ratings soared.

On this bitterly cold Ottawa day, a teleprompter rolled out his script for why he’d asked for the minority Parliament to be suspended until a new Liberal leader is picked.听

The House of Commons has moved little legislation forward in months due to a privilege debate that ground almost all other business to a halt. Trudeau said it was time to break the logjam.听

“Despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history,” he said.听

Removing him from the equation should reduce the polarization in Canadian politics, Trudeau added. He insisted Canadians will see that the Conservative plan for Canada is a mistake.

鈥淧ierre Poilievre鈥檚 vision for this country is not the right one for Canadians,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need an ambitious, optimistic view of the future, and Pierre Poilievre is not offering that.鈥�

Would-be contenders for Trudeau’s job including Freeland, Carney and former B.C. premier Christy Clark took to social media to issue perfunctory thanks to Trudeau for his “service” to the country and Canadians. “I wish him and his family the very best,” Freeland posted on X.

Trudeau’s other political rivals reacted quickly.听

Poilievre said in a recorded video and statement that there should be an immediate election, charging that “Liberals听want to protect their pensions and pay cheques by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before an election to trick you, and then do it all over again.”

Bloc Qu茅b茅cois Leader Yves-Fran莽ois Blanchet said while it is not a bad idea to suspend Parliament during a Liberal leadership race, the country needs an election as soon as possible. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the Liberals do not deserve another chance at governing, no matter who their leader is.

“They should get fired,” Singh said.

Only Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who once sat with Trudeau on the opposition backbenches, spoke kindly and personally, saying Trudeau struggled with the decision to contest the party leadership in 2013 “weighing how it might impact his personal life. He was being recruited as someone who could rescue the Liberals” at a time when a majority win “was not a likelihood. If anyone knew what it would mean for his children if he were to become PM 鈥� as the child of a PM 鈥� Justin Trudeau knew.”

Premier Doug Ford, responding to Trudeau’s news, said in the next two weeks before Trump’s tariffs turn into a reality, “the federal government needs to do everything humanly possible to avoid these tariffs, including by doing more to secure our border and offering a credible plan to invest more in Canada鈥檚 military to meet and exceed our NATO spending commitments.”

The Liberal government will continue to direct Canada’s response to Trump.

For now, prorogation means Parliament will not return as scheduled at the end of January, and kills any legislation currently before the House of Commons. It will force the government to reopen March 24 with a throne speech when the members return, which will require a confidence vote in the days that follow in the Commons.

Assessing his own legacy, Trudeau said he regretted he had not brought in electoral reform, as promised in 2015. Yet he believes he leaves with a solid record of helping the middle class.

鈥淲e reduced their taxes. We increased the benefits to families. We made sure the economy was focused on working for everyone and not just a few,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat has dropped poverty rates in Canada, that has brought more people into the workforce, that has moved us forward on reconciliation.鈥�

Politically, Trudeau is leaving his party with the Liberals more than 20 points behind the Conservatives in almost all opinion polls.

Pressed to say whether he thought another Liberal leader can succeed in defeating Poilievre in the next campaign, Trudeau said “absolutely,” a new Liberal leader will have an opportunity to turn the party鈥檚 fortunes around.

鈥淎 new prime minister and leader of the Liberal party will carry its values and ideals into that next election. I’m excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead.