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“I fear that Hillary’s defeat, and the arrival of the fanatical Trump, mark the true end of the American empire. You can understand why Aline and I are so happy to have the Clintons as friends, and almost as proud to be removed as far as possible from the unspeakable Donald Trump.”

Photo by Nati Harnik/AP Photo

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — aware that it doesn’t take much to set off the mercurial president, who is not above threatening to wreak economic “ruination” on Canada — has always been very guarded in speaking about Trump. But Chretien, now 84 and still active as a lawyer with Dentons, is not so constrained.

In an interview about his new book, Chretien elaborated on his view that the American empire is on the decline.

“You know, you see the emergence of the Chinese and the decline of America,” he told The Canadian Press.

“When I’m travelling the world, I feel that their influence is going down very rapidly.”

Chretien said the protectionist, America-first Trump administration is trying to break the international order “that has created prosperity around the world since the (1940s)” and is causing concern among traditional allies as the U.S. withdraws from the Iran denuclearization agreement, among other international pacts.

A lot of people in France still dream of Napoleon; he's dead since a long time. Life is like that

“If you want to be in isolation, that’s fine. But you have less influence.”

The rise and eventual fall of superpowers is natural and inevitable, Chretien added.

“You know, empires disappear. A lot of people are nostalgic about the British empire. A lot of people in France still dream of Napoleon; he’s dead since a long time. Life is like that.”