Cries for his resignation as Liberal leader have grown louder, including from his fellow party members, as Canada prepares for the economic effects of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs while still enduring the current housing affordability crisis.

In her resignation letter Monday, Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s deputy, wrote about her disagreements with Trudeau on spending and “the best path forward for Canada.” The largest worry she expressed in her letter was Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs, saying it needs to be taken “extremely seriously.”

Trudeau visited Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago last month, just days after the president-elect announced plans for 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. The trip resulted in what appeared to be friendly relations between the two leaders, frustrating Canadians who feared what the proposed tariffs would mean for their economy. After the meeting, Trump did not signal that his position on tariffs had shifted and has joked many times since that Canada should become the 51st state.

The Canadian economy depends on American business, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the country’s worldwide trade. However, the U.S. also relies on Canadian business, with the countries being each other’s largest trading partners. Members of the Conservative Party have called for a stronger response, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre saying Trump “can spot weakness from a mile away.”

Calls for Trudeau’s resignation are also coming from his own party, the biggest sign yet that Trudeau might not survive this fight. At least 13 Liberal Party MPs have called for him to step down. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, who was in a coalition government with Trudeau until September, also called on him to step down as leader.

After Freeland’s bombshell resignation and an approval rating hovering around 30%, here are some paths forward for the junior Trudeau.

Resignation

The simplest yet likely most difficult option for Trudeau is to resign his position as leader of the Liberal Party, and thus no longer serve as prime minister. He’s been the country’s executive for about nine years, the seventh-longest tenure for a Canadian prime minister. It would still be well short of his father, Pierre Trudeau’s 15-year tenure, however.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy, so the prime minister is not elected by the general public. Parties choose their leaders, and the leader of whichever party wins more seats in Parliament then holds the office of prime minister. Trudeau has been the leader of the Liberal Party since 2013.

To resign his post would quiet some of his public opposition, and he’d likely be allowed to remain a member of Parliament if he chose to do so. It would also be a much more amicable way for Trudeau to leave than being forced out by his own party, which could happen if they believe his opposition is great enough to trigger an election that may hand control over to the Conservatives.

If Trudeau does step down, the Liberal Party would choose an interim prime minister and work to increase its popularity among Canadians, who have seen the value of the Canadian dollar drop sharply since 2021, from $0.83 USD to $0.70 USD.

Trudeau waits it out

Trudeau could choose to remain as leader and attempt to quiet all the calls for him to step down.

Such a move could be massively risky for his party, especially if conditions grow worse in Canada. If enough Liberal MPs revolted against Trudeau, they could pass a “no-confidence vote” to remove Trudeau from power, triggering an election.

The Conservative leader, Poilievre, would likely win such an election as it stands. CBC News’s poll tracker shows the Conservatives with a 21-point lead over the Liberals and are projected to win a massive 218 seats in Parliament, compared to the Liberal Party’s estimated 50.

But if Trudeau can weather the storm enough, he could make it out and try to fix his reputation before the scheduled Canadian elections in October 2025.

Prorogue Parliament

Trudeau could pursue either of the aforementioned scenarios or prorogue parliament, a tactic that delays a “no-confidence vote” or any parliament proceedings without dissolving parliament.

It’s a tactic that’s been used before by the Canadian government to weather a political crisis. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper did so in 2008 when opposition parties sought to form a coalition government.

The move worked, and the coalition failed.

If he chooses this path, it will be the second time the Canadian prime minister has prorogued parliament during his tenure. In 2020, Trudeau prorogued parliament after a massive scandal over his previous finance minister, Bill Morneau’s relationship with a charity that was given large government contracts. The move killed all bills and committee investigations, including those into Trudeau and Morneau’s involvement with WE Charity.

This time around, Trudeau would prorogue parliament in hopes the height of the latest scandal would pass and give the party enough time to avoid dissolution.