Trudeau has not signaled that he will voluntarily resign anytime soon.
In an emergency meeting with his group following Freeland’s departure, Trudeau told fellow Liberal members of parliament (MPs) — including some who had directly called for him to resign — that he would need time to think, according to multiple reports.
And in a celebratory speech to the Liberal Party faithful on Tuesday, he admitted politics came with “big challenges” but said: “Tough times are not the time to stop. It’s time to be ambitious, to be bold.”
Trudeau has been under pressure since the summer because of his plummeting approval ratings and a series of special election losses in once-safe Liberal seats that signal deep trouble for his party.
In October, he faced a small group when 24 MPs signed a letter calling for his resignation.
Polls show that if Canada’s federal election were held today, the official opposition Conservative Party would win decisively.
Trudeau has held on despite these challenges and has repeatedly vowed to run again as Liberal leader in the next election.
Only 13 of 153 Liberal MPs have so far openly called for him to step down — almost half of them are not seeking re-election themselves, according to CBC News tracking.
However, according to the party’s charter, the position of leader can only be formally put to a vote by members after an election defeat.
