Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a recent audio broadcast that he contemplated stepping down last year when his marriage began to crumble.

Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced in August that they had agreed to separate.

During an episode of the ReThinking podcast released on Tuesday, psychologist and host Adam Grant asked Trudeau how often he thinks about resigning.

Trudeau replied, "These days, not at all," before admitting that the thought crossed his mind last year.

"There was a moment last year when I was facing some difficulties in my marriage where I really wondered, 'Well, is there a way to step back?'

"I just realized that this isn't me. There's still so much to do."

In an interview with Radio Canada in March, Trudeau jokingly said he thinks about leaving his "crazy" and "very difficult" job every day, sometimes "tough."

Trudeau told Grant that these comments were meant to convey that he checks in to ensure he is "fully committed" to the job.

He said, "If you want to be honest about doing a job like this, which has the responsibilities and the impact, you have to check in - maybe not every day - but you have to check in that you're ready for it, that you're able to do it, 'you're in it all the way.'"

"Even though I've been doing this for a few years, and even though it’s harder now than it was before, and even though my opponent is gaining traction... if those things are enough to make you go 'no,' then you shouldn't be doing it."

The ruling Liberals are trailing the opposition Conservatives in polling, and Trudeau's personal approval ratings have also declined. A poll conducted by Angus Reid in April showed that only 28 percent of Canadians approve of Trudeau, while 66 percent disapprove of him as Prime Minister.

Trudeau acknowledged his current unpopularity when Grant asked him how he deals with criticism from Canadians.

Trudeau said, "I try to go to a place of empathy."

"No matter how much they hate me, I still have to try to think about what I can do to ensure that Canadians, or their kids, or their communities, are better off."

Trudeau's appearance on the podcast is part of a concerted effort by the Liberals to win over young voters.

The Prime Minister has been sitting down for interviews with popular podcast programs and YouTube channels on healthcare, the economy, personal finance, and even women's basketball.

Grant mentioned in his introduction that Trudeau's team reached out to him to propose the interview "out of the blue."

The rise in millennial voting has largely been credited with helping Trudeau's Liberals win government in the 2015 federal election. However, recent polling indicates that younger demographic voters are leaning towards the Conservatives.

The Liberal strategy to attract younger voters will be tested in a by-election in the Toronto-St. Paul's riding later this month.

The Liberals have been elected since the 1990s. Former Minister (and current Ambassador to Denmark) Carolyn Bennett led from 1997 to 2024.

Polling expert Philippe Fournier from 338 Canada told CBC Power & Politics last week that despite the strong showing by the Liberals in 2021—when Bennett won over half the votes—there is a risk they could lose in the by-election.

He said, "We have to consider this vote as a failing, with a slight lean toward the Liberals. "Of course, there is some uncertainty in the numbers, but we expect the Liberals to win by a margin of four to eight points."