One who dazzled, fizzled

Canada's Trudeau: 'Political Rock Star' Forced to Leave Office

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The term "political rock star" has not been applied to many Canadian leaders, but when Justin Trudeau stormed into office in a 2015 landslide election, it appeared to fit.

Now, more than nine years after he initially wooed voters with a progressive agenda, Trudeau is leaving office, forced out by former Liberal party allies while being mocked by incoming US president Donald Trump.

"Trudeaumania" was first used to describe reaction to Trudeau's father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who became a global celebrity when he led Canada through the late '60s and '70s, dating Barbara Streisand and developing a friendship with Fidel Castro.

The phrase resurged when Justin Trudeau—who had previously been a snowboard instructor, bartender, bouncer, and teacher—rose to the top of Canadian politics.

"Why can't he be our president?" Rolling Stone magazine asked on a 2017 cover, six months into Trump's first term.

Trudeau's positions seemed well pitched to left-of-centre voters in Canada and beyond. He promised action on climate change and a defense of Indigenous and refugee rights.