Article content

It’s as if Justin Trudeau is being preyed upon by an incubus that takes the form of robust, right-wing populists with a fondness for provocative statements and self-tanning products.

It has not been a good week for the prime minister.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or John Ivison: In Trudeau's nightmares, he is stalked by robust, right-wing populists Back to video

A quick scan of Friday’s headlines revealed a feud crystallizing with U.S. President Donald Trump; the election of potential nemesis Doug Ford as Ontario premier; and a May employment report that one economist described as “a bit of a stinker.”

Clearly the bad news is arbitrary, but the cumulative impact will be so worrying for the Liberals the temptation may be to join Trump in an Old Testament-style, eye-for-an-eye Twitter war as a popular diversion.

The president arrived in Charlevoix for the G7 Friday lunchtime and was greeted with an embarrassed hand-shake by the Prime Minister, as if Trump were the mad uncle who needs to be kept away from the wedding guests.