Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was set to form a minority government after being re-elected Monday in a close election race in Canada, CBC and CTV News projections show.
By the numbers: The Liberals had won or were leading in 157 of the 338 available seats, according to results early Tuesday. Nearest rival the Conservative Party has secured 121 seats, per CBC.
In his victory speech, Justin Trudeau told Canadians that even if they didn't vote for him, the Liberal Party works for all people of Canada pic.twitter.com/zh2zuq85HV
— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) October 22, 2019
What they're saying: President Trump tweeted a congratulatory message to Trudeau on what he called "a wonderful and hard fought victory."
The big picture: After seeing his popularity plummet, Trudeau received a welcome boost last Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who made a rare endorsement of a foreign leader in a tweet stating that "the world needs" the Canadian PM's "progressive leadership."
- Per Axios' Dave Lawler, Trudeau's popularity first plunged "under the disillusionment that hampers many incumbents, particularly on the idealistic left."
- Then Trudeau's high-principled public image took a dive with an ethics breach that began in February, and last month he was hit with a racism scandal in which photos emerged of him wearing brownface and blackface when he was younger.
Go deeper: Trudeau’s pivot: Vows to ban military-style assault rifles, including AR-15
Editor's note: This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
