Trudeau's star power dimmed after tackling pandemic and Trump

Man who has led Canada for nearly a decade brought down by ugly clash with main ally

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Mr. Justin Trudeau, who on Jan. 6 said he would resign as Liberal prime minister once the party names a new leader, led Canada for more than nine years before former allies turned against him.

Mr. Trudeau, 53, the son of longtime former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was born into the public eye and inherited his father's sense of style and showmanship. He is one of the few Canadian leaders to win three consecutive terms in office.

During his time in power, Canada overcame two major crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and then U.S. President Donald Trump's demand to renegotiate the trilateral trade deal with Mexico.

Mr. Trudeau is an avowed feminist committed to gender parity in his Cabinets who was ultimately brought down by an ugly break-up with former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the most powerful woman in his political life.

Mr. Trudeau took over as Liberal leader in 2013 when the party was in deep trouble and had been reduced to third place in the House of Commons for the first time.

Yet by pushing an upbeat message of "sunny ways," and taking advantage of voter fatigue with the Conservative government, Mr. Trudeau propelled his party into power in the 2015 election.

Mr. Trudeau was a media sensation and found his face - not to mention his sharp suits and colorful socks - splashed across magazines around the world.

On his first foreign trip in November 2015, he was mobbed in a Manila conference center and had to be whisked away by his security team.

There was also substance. The highlight of his first term proved to be the successful renegotiation of the trilateral trade treaty with the U.S. and Mexico.

The Canadian side, led by then-Foreign Minister Freeland, managed to preserve an agreement that was crucial for the economy.