Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to hold back laughter Friday at the G-7 summit when he presented President Trump with a framed photo of a hotel and brothel that Trump’s grandfather once operated in British Columbia.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted a photo of the moment — with Trump sitting in front of the Canadian flag and Trudeau sitting in front of the American flag — praising the gesture.
“Great moment between @JustinTrudeau and @POTUS when he gave him picture of the President’s grandfather’s hotel in Canada. #G72018″, the tweet said.
Great moment between @JustinTrudeau and @POTUS when he gave him picture of the President’s grandfather’s hotel in Canada. #G72018 pic.twitter.com/mtl5c7QPB3
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) June 9, 2018
Despite rising tensions leading into the summit — and an eventual early exit from President Trump — Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced all members of the G-7 had agreed to sign a communique dedicated to limiting tariffs and other trade barriers.
Though all of the G-7 members agreed to the declaration, President Trump, after leaving for Singapore, continued to criticize Trudeau in particular for what he described as unfair trade relationships for the United States.
“The United States will not allow other countries to impose massive Tariffs and Trade Barriers on its farmers, workers and companies,” he tweeted from Air Force One. “While sending their product into our country tax free. We have put up with Trade Abuse for many decades — and that is long enough.”
[Related: Peter Navarro: There’s a ‘special place in hell’ for Justin Trudeau]
Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich Trump, opened the Arctic Restaurant and Hotel in 1897 during the Klondike Gold Rush. It was one of the first properties in the Trump real estate empire.
Though President Trump has vehemently denied the property was ever operated as a brothel, history suggests otherwise.
As did a multitude of Twitter users responding to Sanders’ post.
Hotel, eh? It was a brothel. https://t.co/o0KRj1VDcX
— Lauren Santo Domingo (@TheLSD) June 9, 2018
Was that one of Frederick Trump’s brothels? (True story) https://t.co/Nd7OqqGOwM
— John Aravosis (@aravosis) June 9, 2018
Yeah, also, the hotel was a brothel: https://t.co/FLgzqUAhpO https://t.co/FVflFCssyF
— Heather Barr (@heatherbarr1) June 9, 2018
I wrote a few years ago about the role this inn/brothel/restaurant/gambling den in the Canadian Arctic played in building the Trump family fortune: https://t.co/YvR4rvQE8C https://t.co/rh1NAIyjys
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) June 9, 2018
You spelled brothel wrong. https://t.co/sCZ51uqRq9
— Morten Øverbye (@morten) June 9, 2018
Despite the Arctic Hotel’s colorful past, activists — including Parks Canada and the Carcross Tagish First Nation — have campaigned to turn the site into a tourist attraction.

