Justin Trudeau starts Canada’s election campaign as the underdog

JUSTIN TRUDEAU received the kind of welcome in Washington, DC, on June 20th that Canadian prime ministers dream of. President Donald Trump, who a year ago called him “dishonest” and “weak”, now saluted him as a “friend” and treated him to lunch at the White House. He promised to help Canada in a diplomatic row with China, provoked in December when Canada arrested a prominent Chinese businesswoman to comply with an American extradition request. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of America’s House of Representatives, said she was optimistic that Congress would eventually ratify a deal, which includes Mexico, to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a Canadian priority. She gave Mr Trudeau a basket of Californian wines, nuts and chocolates. Those were his winnings from their wager over the duel between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors in a basketball championship. An auspicious rainbow appeared over Andrews Air Force Base as Mr Trudeau’s motorcade arrived for the flight home.