Obama, Trudeau: A bromance with an expiration date

WASHINGTON – When President Barack Obama welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a state visit to the White House on Thursday, it was like looking back in time seven years.

Like Obama, Trudeau, a charismatic young politician with a liberal vision, rode a wave of idealism to the nation’s highest office only to quickly learn it’s not easy trying to turn campaign slogans into real changes.

The leaders – one just coming into office and one getting ready to leave office – have so much in common that Twitter users quickly declared the fledgling relationship a “bromance.”

“Being able to draw on his experience and his wisdom as I face the very real challenges that our countries, and indeed our world, will be facing in the coming years is something that I appreciate deeply,” Trudeau said at a news conference in the Rose Garden.

Obama has said that seeing Trudeau on his election night in October reminded him of his own win in 2008, and his aides say the two leaders are developing a “special relationship” based on their ages, visions and goals. From their first meeting, foreign policy analysts say, the men dismissed with formality and began addressing each other as “Barack” and “Justin.”

On Thursday, a now-graying Obama jokingly offered the 44-year-old son of the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau some advice. “If, in fact, you plan to keep your dark hair, then you have to start dying it early,” he said. “You hit a certain point, it’s too late. You’ll be caught.”

Foreign policy analysts say Trudeau would be wise to work as closely – and as quickly – as possible with Obama. The urgency, analysts say, comes from the prospect of Republicans Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the White House next year, espousing values and policies that are anathema to the liberal Trudeau government.

“This is a time to think through some of the front-burner questions,” said John McArthur, a Canada specialist in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution, a center-left policy research center. “One administration is in its last year and another in its first year, so there are a few things that are overlapping.”

Trudeau should “go for broke,” urged the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, an Ottawa-based foreign policy research center, in a study released this week. The report, titled “A Canadian Agenda: Obama and Beyond,” warns that the next U.S. administration is likely to be “more susceptible to protectionist and nativist impulses around trade and security.” So, the Canadian study concluded, “the more we can do in the remaining months of the Obama administration to inoculate ourselves, the better.”

Trudeau did not wade into the U.S. election on Thursday, but Obama pushed back on accusations from former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and others that he bears responsibility for the rancor of the Republican primary and the rise of presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

“What I’m not going to do is validate some notion that the Republican crackup that’s been taking place is a consequence of actions that I’ve taken,” Obama said.

In their private meeting, the two men discussed climate change, trade and national security.

They announced an agreement to seek a 40 percent to 45 percent reduction in methane emissions by the oil and gas industry by 2025 in existing and new sources. The industry is the largest source of methane emissions.

The leaders also vowed to protect the Arctic with programs to safeguard more than 10 percent of marine areas, to recognize shipping corridors with low environmental impact, and to create new offshore oil and gas drilling standards.

Late Thursday, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama honored Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, at a lavish state dinner in the East Room.

“Breath of fresh air,” “impressive” and “very impressive” was how some of the guests described the country’s new leader.

“He’s cool,” said actor Michael J. Fox, who was born in Edmonton. Fox declared himself a fan of Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, whom he described as the “coolest world leader going. He seems to be pretty cool, too,” Fox said of the younger Trudeau.

“When I lived in Canada, Pierre Trudeau was my prime minister for 14 years and he’s my hero,” said actor Mike Myers, who sported a head of snow white hair for his first White House state dinner, the first for Canada in nearly 20 years. “Now, I’m thrilled to have his son as my prime minister. I think it’s going to be a great time for Canada and a great time for Canadian-U.S. relations.”

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said he was not the least bit surprised by the hubbub over Trudeau; the senator lives about an hour away from the border. “He’s a breath of fresh air,” Leahy said.

Obama daughters Malia and Sasha attended their first state dinner. Malia, 17, sat with Sandra Oh and Sasha, 14, sat with actor Ryan Reynolds and his wife, actress Blake Lively. The first lady sat with Fox.

The AP contributed to this story.