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When Justin met Donald: 6 imaginary exchanges

When the two leaders meet next week, things could get... awkward. But we've got the PM's back with this handy cheat sheet of his own quotes on feminism, refugees and more.

On Monday, Justin Trudeau will head to Washington, D.C., to meet President Trump for the first time since The Donald became America’s bath-robed commander in chief. Trudeau says the two will speak respectfully about Canadian values and job creation, but the conversation is bound to simmer with tension given the two leaders’ differing views on every thing from abortion to climate change and, of course, refugees. Should those sticky topics come up, we created a handy cheat sheet of often-quoted Trudeau statements to help the PM stand his ground in challenging moments.

1. Topic: Abortion

If the president says… “I am pro life…There has to be some form of punishment [for].” — Trump,  speaking to Chris Matthews in 2016

The PM could try… “The days when old men get to decide what a woman does with her body are long gone. Times have changed for the better.” — Trudeau, on Twitter in 2014

2. Topic: Climate change

If the president says… “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive” — Trump, on Twitter in 2012

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The PM could try… “We are serious about climate change … This means making decisions based on science.” — Trudeau, speaking ahead of a Paris climate change conference in 2015

Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau Photos, Canadian Press.

3. Topic: Syrian refugees

If the president says… “We have to stop the tremendous flow of Syrian refugees into the United States — we don’t know who they are, they have no documentation, and we don’t know what they’re planning.” — Trump, in a June 2016 statement on Trump's campaign’s website

The PM could try… "This [welcoming] is something that we are able to do in this country because we define a Canadian not by a skin colour or a language or a religion or a background. But by a shared set of values, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people around the world share.” — Trudeau, speaking at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on December 11, 2015, the day he welcomed Canada’s first 163 Syrian refugees

4. Topic: Feminism

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If the president says… “I’m not a crusader for feminism, and I’m not against it, either. I’m just oblivious to a person’s gender when it comes to hiring people and handing out assignments.” — Trump, in his 1997 memoir Surviving at the Top.

The PM could try... “We shouldn’t be afraid of the word “feminist.” Men and women should use it to describe themselves anytime they want.” — Trudeau,  speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Or maybe just... "I am a feminist. I’m proud to be a feminist." — Trudeau, on Twitter in 2015



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5. Topic: Fighting ISIS

If the president says… “I would bomb the sh-t out of ’em” — Trump, at a campaign rally in Fort Dodge Iowa last summer

The PM could try... “While airstrike operations can be very useful to achieve short-term military and territorial gains, they do not on their own achieve long-term stability for local communities.” — Trudeau, in a February 2016 press conference.

6. Topic: Locker room talk

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If the president says… "I'm automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything." — Trump,  speaking to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush on a hot-mic tape in 2005

The PM could try... Bringing in Sophie, who said: "When there's a language of aggression and violence or rape culture, and we see it in super famous TV shows, all over the place, it becomes kind of normal... The good news is we don't agree with that. And a lot of people don't agree with that." — speaking to girls on the International Day of the Girl, days after Trump's hot-mic leak. 

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