Matt Gurney: In New York, the prime minister finds a safe space

A U.S. talk show is a place where the PM still gets credit for what he says, and not what he's done — and left undone.

By: Matt Gurney

I originally didn’t plan to write about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I didn’t even tweet about it. And I didn’t really want to say anything about it because I don’t think it matters. Big fans of the prime minister might get excited about him appearing on a high-profile stage. Detractors will roll their eyes at yet more evidence that Trudeau loves the sound of his own voice. To me, the whole thing was a nothingburger. I don’t expect it to move a single vote in this country. And I think, in terms of analyzing our politics these days, that’s about all that matters.

So yeah, I didn’t stay up to watch it. I had no intention of watching it. And then a funny thing happened. I ended up watching it. Blame my son's early morning hockey schedule. Sitting in a freezing Toronto rink at oh-my-god-o’clock and with little to do, I ended up watching the thing on my phone.

And I still don’t think it matters politically. But something did occur to me. And in terms of understanding our prime minister’s state of mind, maybe it’s worth reflecting on for a moment.

Is New York one of the last places left where the PM gets to enjoy the good-old sunny ways days, where people still cheer him on and he gets full credit for his words, with little focus on his actions?