Donald Trump might as well be on the ballot when Canadians vote for a new government.
The US president’s trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st state have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in nationalism that has helped the Liberal Party flip the narrative heading into Monday’s parliamentary election, at least in opinion polls.
“Trump is the campaign,” former Quebec Premier Jean Charest said. “The ballot question is who is the person we are going to choose to face Trump. Everything has changed.”
Foreign policy has not affected a Canadian election this much since 1988, when, ironically, free trade with the United States dominated the political discourse.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Liberal leader who was sworn in on March 14 following Justin Trudeau’s resignation, led in the polls heading into Monday, marking a dramatic turnaround for a party that seemed destined for a crushing defeat until Trump started launching broadsides at Canada’s economy and sovereignty.
“We are in a crisis. President Trump is threatening Canada, he’s threatening our companies, he’s threatening our workers, he’s threatening the savings of our retirees,” Carney said on Tuesday. “This threat is not only an economic threat, it is an existential threat.”
