It's been an eventful two years since Justin Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister, and 2017 was perhaps the most newsworthy yet.

  • Watch the full interview with Trudeau tonight at 8 p.m. ET on CTV

As 2018 inches closer, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sat down with CTV Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme to reflect on the year that was. In the wide-ranging interview, they discussed some of the flashpoints and faces that defined the year, from Omar Khadr to the looming legalization of marijuana.

U.S. President Donald Trump was a big talking point as heated NAFTA negotiations break for the holidays without any new agreements announced. Trump has vowed to rewrite or completely throw out the deal, which Trudeau鈥檚 government has made one of its key objectives to save.

Despite the troubled NAFTA talks, Trudeau remained positive in his assessment of Trump.

"Donald Trump has demonstrated that he鈥檚 a bit of a disruptive force. He does unpredictable things,鈥� Trudeau said. 鈥淗e's a deal-maker. He's a negotiator."

Trudeau noted that he鈥檚 optimistic about his relationship with Trump. "The thing that reassures me fundamentally is he got elected on a commitment to help people, to make America great again."

He added: 鈥淭he way to help those people is to bring in trade deals and jobs and economic growth that is going to help.鈥�

On the more than $10-million settlement reached in the case of former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr, Trudeau expressed his own frustration.

鈥淚 am frustrated and outraged about having to make that settlement. People should remain frustrated and outraged, because then perhaps future governments will never again think it would be easier to allow for someone鈥檚 rights to be violated because they are politically unpopular.鈥�

The prime minister also expressed his personal belief that former ISIS fighters can be de-radicalized in the event that they return to Canada. In Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said he believed the likelihood of reintegrating former ISIS fighters is 鈥減retty remote.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 a range of experiences when people come home. We know that actually someone who has engaged and turned away from that hateful ideology can be an extraordinarily powerful voice for preventing radicalization in future generations and younger people within the community,鈥� he said.

And, on one his government鈥檚 more divisive announcements, the legalization of marijuana, Trudeau suggested he won鈥檛 partake when the drug is sold in retail outlets next year.

鈥淣o, this is the joke in the whole thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 drink coffee, I don鈥檛 drink much alcohol, I don鈥檛 smoke, I don鈥檛 do drugs, I never really have.鈥�