Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation amid "internal battles" within the Liberal Party Monday (January 6) morning.

Trudeau said he will continue to serve as prime minister until his successor is selected in the upcoming general election.

“I am a fighter and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this,” Trudeau said at a news conference outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa via the New York Post. “But I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians and by what is in the best interests of Canadians — and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election.”

“It has become obvious to me, with the internal battles, that I cannot be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election,” he added.

Trudeau, who has led the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, announced his decision amid several crises including the resignation of several key allies, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, plummeting polling numbers and President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats. The Liberal Party is currently without a permanent leader in the election in which they are already projected to lose badly to the opposing Conservative Party, which is currently led by Pierre Poilievre.

The general election must be held on or before October 20, however, could be brought forward following Trudeau's reported resignation. The Liberal Party national executive, which controls leadership issues, is scheduled to hold a meeting at some point this week, likely after a caucus is held.

Vicki McKenna