On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Trudeau says he understands Canadian 'frustration'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used his debut appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday to make his case for another term despite facing existential challenges to his leadership and mounting "frustration" from Canadians struggling with the cost of living.

Sitting for the late night talk show interview the day before a non-confidence motion against his government, Trudeau was asked why his political opponents might be trying to get him out of office after nearly a decade in power. In response, Trudeau said he believed the cost of living is to blame.

"Well, it is a really tough time in Canada right now. People are hurting. People are having trouble paying for groceries, paying for rent, filling up the tank We've lost a little ground over the past decades on building houses, so the housing crisis is a little sharper," he said.

People 'sometimes looking at change'

Trudeau said he believes Canada's economic outlook is slightly more positive than the United States'"ona macro level," but conceded Canadians "don't feel it when they're buyinggroceries.

"People are frustrated and the idea that maybe they want an election now is something that my opponents are trying to bank on because... People are taking a lot out on me for understandable reasons. I've been here and I've been steering us through all these things and people are sometimes looking at change," he continued.

Trudeau saidhe was determined to "keep fighting" for another term as prime minister.

The exchange was the most pointed during an interview with a largely sunny tone, despite the prime minister facing a far darker mood in Ottawa. Trudeau's government is expected to face a non-confidence motion Tuesday from the Conservative party, which isriding a double-digit advantage in the polls.

The motion would be the first step towardan early election if passed, but it is destined to failas the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have already said they will vote it down andallow the Liberals to survive.

Still, thepolitical play is another test of Trudeau's leadership after a bruising summer that ended with the Liberals losing thegovernance agreement with the NDP and two long-held seats in a pair of byelections.

Aside from the brief exchange about the non-confidence vote,Colbert and Trudeau bantered throughout most of the interview Monday about trivial questions Americans might have for Canadians like why Canadian changeendsup in Americans' pockets, whether Canadian bacon is the same as ham and whether the nation "burned" money with the image of the late Queen Elizabeth after her death in 2022.

Trudeau did not take an opportunity to criticize Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when Colbert said the latterhas been referred to as "Canada's Trump." Instead, the prime ministerrespondedwith common campaign pointsabout the Liberals' policies on climate change, dental care and $10-a-day childcare.

Trudeau also sidesteppeda joke about a conspiracy theory falsely claimingHaitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio, whichwas repeatedby former U.S. president Donald Trump during a presidential debate.

"I'm gonna move right past that one," Trudeau said.

Colbert did not otherwise ask Trudeau to weighin on the U.S. presidential election between Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The interview was shot during Trudeau'strip to New York, where Trudeaumet with leaders ahead of the 78th gathering of the United Nations General Assembly. The Late Show is largely tailored to an American audience but airs in Canada. Interview clipsare also shared across Instagram and TikTok, where the show has nearly five million followers.

RuPaul Charles, the host of the show RuPaul's Drag Race, wasalsoa guest on Monday but did not interact with Trudeau.The prime ministermade an appearance on the Canadian version of the drag queen competition series last year.