Trump reportedly sent picture of Justin Trudeau’s face with passive-aggressive note to Canada’s embassy

Donald Trump reportedly sent bizarre Sharpie-written notes directed at Justin Trudeau on at least two occasions.

Despite the US and Canada being allies, Trump and Trudeau’s relationship took a passive-aggressive turn in 2017 when Bloomberg Businessweek featured the Canadian prime minister on its cover with the headline “The Anti-Trump”.

When the cover caught Trump’s attention, the president tore it off the magazine and wrote in silver Sharpie “Looking good! Hope it's not true!”, according to news website Axios.

Trump then sent the cover to the Canadian embassy in Washington, confusing the Canadian ambassador, who apparently thought it was a prank and asked the White House to check if it was real.

The cover that apparently riled Trump is below:

Later in the year, Trump falsely told a rally in Florida that the US has a trade deficit with Canada and reportedly sent documents to Trudeau which he claimed showed said deficit.

An Axios source said he wrote something along the lines of “Not good!!” on the document.

Trudeau replied a few weeks later with a handwritten letter congratulating the president on his Florida speech but questioning his claim about the trade deficit.

According to Axios’ Jonathan Swan, the second page of the letter contained Trudeau’s own passive-aggressive annotation.

Swan wrote:

Trudeau underlined the section on the United States Trade Representative website, which at the time reported that ‘the US goods and services trade surplus with Canada was $12.5bn in 2016.’

Trudeau circled the $12.5bn and drew a cheeky little smiley face next to it, according to a source with direct knowledge.

When a Canadian government official was asked about the documents, they said they wouldn’t comment on the alleged exchange but also wouldn't deny it.

If true, it's another example of how unbelievably thin-skinned Trump is.

This wasn't the first time Trump allegedly used a Sharpie to respond to a perceived enemy.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, journalist Graydon Carter recalled how his magazine Spy called Trump a “Short-Fingered Vulgarian” in the 80s.

Carter said he has occasionally received envelopes over the years containing a photo of the now-president with his hands circled in gold Sharpie “in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers."

At that time, the former magazine editor claimed the most recent envelope was sent after Trump announced he was running for president.

Carter said:

Like the other packages, this one included a circled hand and the words, also written in gold Sharpie, 'See, not so short!'

I sent the picture back by return mail with a note attached, saying, 'Actually, quite short.'

HT Axios