Meet the 'Trump whisperer' aiming to rescue Canada's economy
Dominic LeBlanc isn't amused by “51st state” jokes; he's focused on preventing the U.S. from imposing tariffs on Canada, its northern neighbor.
TroibNews 
OTTAWA — With fewer than two months remaining in his tenure as prime minister, facing declining party polls and former colleagues positioning themselves for leadership, Justin Trudeau has enlisted a trusted childhood friend to tackle one of Canada’s most pressing challenges: a looming trade war with Donald Trump that could jeopardize the economy.
Dominic LeBlanc, a 57-year-old MP from New Brunswick, is closely connected to Canada’s political elite, being the son of a former governor general and part of the Trudeau family’s inner circle, even serving as a babysitter for the future prime minister.
Convinced that LeBlanc's approachable demeanor will resonate more effectively in Trump's circles than his predecessor as finance minister, the intellectual and well-traveled Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau has made this strategic choice. Freeland's reputation took a hit when Trump dubbed her “toxic” during previous negotiations.
LeBlanc, unlike Freeland, avoids grandiloquent discussions on the “rules-based international order.” He is a cancer survivor with a penchant for cigars.
In November, it was LeBlanc, not Freeland, who accompanied Trudeau to dinner at Mar-a-Lago. He maintained a composed demeanor that evening, a quality he continues to embody amid the significant threats to a trade relationship that sees C$2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border daily.
“If you're going through turbulence, it’s not a particularly good idea to take your seat belt off, run up and down the aisle and kick the cockpit door in,” LeBlanc shared with PMG last week. “You stay buckled up, and the turbulence passes.”
During dinner, LeBlanc engaged with Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary choice, and Lutnick’s wife, Allison. His charm proved effective, as he and Lutnick have since become texting acquaintances and are scheduling further meetings — an effort LeBlanc is organizing with Trump's team.
“He is one of those remarkable people that is fun. But he’s also a really sharp public-policy mind and a problem solver,” noted David Paterson, Ontario’s top envoy to Washington, in a conversation with PMG.
In contrast to Freeland, who resigned from Cabinet and is now in the race to succeed Trudeau, LeBlanc remains fiercely loyal to the prime minister. He wasted no time declaring his non-participation in the leadership contest, arguing that the fight against Trump’s tariffs is too crucial to abandon.
Over nearly a decade in Trudeau’s Cabinet, LeBlanc has gained a reputation as a problem-solver for the Liberal government, overseeing various federal portfolios, including Fisheries and Oceans, Public Safety, and Intergovernmental Affairs. The latter role requires navigating the diverse interests of provincial premiers. As Canada gears up for potential retaliatory trade measures, maintaining unity among these premiers poses a considerable challenge, particularly with Alberta's pushback against Ottawa's threats to halt Canadian energy shipments to the U.S.
Trudeau is relying on LeBlanc to foster cooperation among the premiers. “Full disclosure: I think the world of him, and so do all the other premiers,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford remarked following a discussion about a federal border security initiative aimed at appeasing Trump and averting his tariffs. Ford called the border strategy “phenomenal” and mentioned that he communicates with LeBlanc nearly every day.
“He’s foregoing his [Liberal Party] leadership [bid] because he’s putting Canada first. And I just want to thank you,” Ford said, standing alongside LeBlanc in Toronto. “We’re going to work closely with all the other premiers, along with the federal government.”
Canadian Sen. Peter Boehm, who has known LeBlanc for 30 years, believes the new finance minister is well-suited to engage with the incoming Trump administration.
“He is an astute politician, highly capable and clearly has the ear and friendship of the prime minister,” Boehm commented to PMG. “His good relations with the premiers and voice will be very helpful in the context of developing a coordinated, coherent approach to dealing with the incoming Trump administration.”
LeBlanc’s primary focus is addressing Trump’s border concerns.
The president has threatened tariffs unless Canada can effectively reduce what he views as a concerning influx of illegal migrants and fentanyl into the U.S. from Canada. LeBlanc's ability to remain composed could be vital as he works to show progress on the relatively limited amounts of illicit substances and migrants crossing the border.
In December, Ottawa revealed a joint "strike force" targeting transnational organized crime, which has evolved into a C$1.3 billion initiative involving Black Hawk helicopters and advanced surveillance technology.
LeBlanc has engaged with Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan. “I couldn’t ask for a better conversation,” Homan stated in a post-meeting comment to CTV News. “Actions have to follow, but I’m very optimistic from the conversation I had that we’re going to come up with a good border security plan.”
Days after Christmas, LeBlanc visited Mar-a-Lago again, this time joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, for discussions with Lutnick and Interior Department nominee Doug Burgum.
Joly recently returned to Washington for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing her approach to influence Trump’s inner circle rather than trying to get into his “headspace.” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty also traveled to D.C. following Joly's meetings.
With Trump hinting at possibly imposing tariffs soon, LeBlanc is coordinating Canada’s response, which will depend on the president's actions. Options include retaliatory tariffs and disruptions in supply chains.
LeBlanc maintains that a collaborative effort is essential. “There are dozens and dozens of people, dozens of times a day, who are engaging in pretty important economic conversations,” he told PMG.
“I've met the presidents of the six big Canadian banks, and they talk about their footprint in the United States, their clients in the United States … Canadian businesses that are doing very, very significant business with American partners.”
Drawing from a rich background, LeBlanc faces the political obstacles ahead with resilience.
More than five years ago, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but he overcame the illness thanks to a young donor in Germany who provided stem cells. Jonathan Kehl, now 25, turned out to be LeBlanc’s perfect genetic match. The two had a heartfelt reunion on Parliament Hill two years ago, after Kehl reached out to send birthday wishes to LeBlanc before Christmas.
“This kid fully saved my life. A vial of my blood and a vial of his blood is the same. So, I have his blood and immune system,” LeBlanc shared on a pre-Christmas Canadian political podcast.
This second chance presents a political challenge LeBlanc is tackling head-on.
“The good news is it all comes back,” he noted on the podcast. “The weight, the hair, bad habits — the cigar smoking — it all comes back. So that’s the good thing.”
However, he won’t risk bringing his cherished Montecristos to Mar-a-Lago, reminding PMG, “It’s a violation of American law to be in possession of the Cuban cigar. You don’t want to get in a mess at the border.”
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
Dominic LeBlanc, a 57-year-old MP from New Brunswick, is closely connected to Canada’s political elite, being the son of a former governor general and part of the Trudeau family’s inner circle, even serving as a babysitter for the future prime minister.
Convinced that LeBlanc's approachable demeanor will resonate more effectively in Trump's circles than his predecessor as finance minister, the intellectual and well-traveled Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau has made this strategic choice. Freeland's reputation took a hit when Trump dubbed her “toxic” during previous negotiations.
LeBlanc, unlike Freeland, avoids grandiloquent discussions on the “rules-based international order.” He is a cancer survivor with a penchant for cigars.
In November, it was LeBlanc, not Freeland, who accompanied Trudeau to dinner at Mar-a-Lago. He maintained a composed demeanor that evening, a quality he continues to embody amid the significant threats to a trade relationship that sees C$2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border daily.
“If you're going through turbulence, it’s not a particularly good idea to take your seat belt off, run up and down the aisle and kick the cockpit door in,” LeBlanc shared with PMG last week. “You stay buckled up, and the turbulence passes.”
During dinner, LeBlanc engaged with Howard Lutnick, Trump's commerce secretary choice, and Lutnick’s wife, Allison. His charm proved effective, as he and Lutnick have since become texting acquaintances and are scheduling further meetings — an effort LeBlanc is organizing with Trump's team.
“He is one of those remarkable people that is fun. But he’s also a really sharp public-policy mind and a problem solver,” noted David Paterson, Ontario’s top envoy to Washington, in a conversation with PMG.
In contrast to Freeland, who resigned from Cabinet and is now in the race to succeed Trudeau, LeBlanc remains fiercely loyal to the prime minister. He wasted no time declaring his non-participation in the leadership contest, arguing that the fight against Trump’s tariffs is too crucial to abandon.
Over nearly a decade in Trudeau’s Cabinet, LeBlanc has gained a reputation as a problem-solver for the Liberal government, overseeing various federal portfolios, including Fisheries and Oceans, Public Safety, and Intergovernmental Affairs. The latter role requires navigating the diverse interests of provincial premiers. As Canada gears up for potential retaliatory trade measures, maintaining unity among these premiers poses a considerable challenge, particularly with Alberta's pushback against Ottawa's threats to halt Canadian energy shipments to the U.S.
Trudeau is relying on LeBlanc to foster cooperation among the premiers. “Full disclosure: I think the world of him, and so do all the other premiers,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford remarked following a discussion about a federal border security initiative aimed at appeasing Trump and averting his tariffs. Ford called the border strategy “phenomenal” and mentioned that he communicates with LeBlanc nearly every day.
“He’s foregoing his [Liberal Party] leadership [bid] because he’s putting Canada first. And I just want to thank you,” Ford said, standing alongside LeBlanc in Toronto. “We’re going to work closely with all the other premiers, along with the federal government.”
Canadian Sen. Peter Boehm, who has known LeBlanc for 30 years, believes the new finance minister is well-suited to engage with the incoming Trump administration.
“He is an astute politician, highly capable and clearly has the ear and friendship of the prime minister,” Boehm commented to PMG. “His good relations with the premiers and voice will be very helpful in the context of developing a coordinated, coherent approach to dealing with the incoming Trump administration.”
LeBlanc’s primary focus is addressing Trump’s border concerns.
The president has threatened tariffs unless Canada can effectively reduce what he views as a concerning influx of illegal migrants and fentanyl into the U.S. from Canada. LeBlanc's ability to remain composed could be vital as he works to show progress on the relatively limited amounts of illicit substances and migrants crossing the border.
In December, Ottawa revealed a joint "strike force" targeting transnational organized crime, which has evolved into a C$1.3 billion initiative involving Black Hawk helicopters and advanced surveillance technology.
LeBlanc has engaged with Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan. “I couldn’t ask for a better conversation,” Homan stated in a post-meeting comment to CTV News. “Actions have to follow, but I’m very optimistic from the conversation I had that we’re going to come up with a good border security plan.”
Days after Christmas, LeBlanc visited Mar-a-Lago again, this time joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, for discussions with Lutnick and Interior Department nominee Doug Burgum.
Joly recently returned to Washington for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing her approach to influence Trump’s inner circle rather than trying to get into his “headspace.” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty also traveled to D.C. following Joly's meetings.
With Trump hinting at possibly imposing tariffs soon, LeBlanc is coordinating Canada’s response, which will depend on the president's actions. Options include retaliatory tariffs and disruptions in supply chains.
LeBlanc maintains that a collaborative effort is essential. “There are dozens and dozens of people, dozens of times a day, who are engaging in pretty important economic conversations,” he told PMG.
“I've met the presidents of the six big Canadian banks, and they talk about their footprint in the United States, their clients in the United States … Canadian businesses that are doing very, very significant business with American partners.”
Drawing from a rich background, LeBlanc faces the political obstacles ahead with resilience.
More than five years ago, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but he overcame the illness thanks to a young donor in Germany who provided stem cells. Jonathan Kehl, now 25, turned out to be LeBlanc’s perfect genetic match. The two had a heartfelt reunion on Parliament Hill two years ago, after Kehl reached out to send birthday wishes to LeBlanc before Christmas.
“This kid fully saved my life. A vial of my blood and a vial of his blood is the same. So, I have his blood and immune system,” LeBlanc shared on a pre-Christmas Canadian political podcast.
This second chance presents a political challenge LeBlanc is tackling head-on.
“The good news is it all comes back,” he noted on the podcast. “The weight, the hair, bad habits — the cigar smoking — it all comes back. So that’s the good thing.”
However, he won’t risk bringing his cherished Montecristos to Mar-a-Lago, reminding PMG, “It’s a violation of American law to be in possession of the Cuban cigar. You don’t want to get in a mess at the border.”
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
