Trump turns Canadian politics upside down
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President Trump's taunting and tariffs have turned Canadians against the U.S., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau into a fire-breathing nationalist, and his Liberal Party — once on track for an electoral wipeout — back into a force to be reckoned with.
Why it matters: Trump has imposed big tariffs on the U.S.' closest ally and wants to make Canada the 51st State. Canada's response: a big middle finger to the USA.
Zoom in: Trudeau blasted Trump Tuesday for taking aim at its neighbor and ally while cozying up to Russia, vowing massive retaliatory tariffs in response to the levies imposed by the U.S.
- Trudeau bluntly told everyday Americans to blame Trump for the coming economic pain, saying "your government has chosen to do this to you."
- "What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that'll make it easier to annex us," Trudeau said. "We will never be the 51st state."
- He added: "When it comes to defending our great nation, there is no price we all aren't willing to pay."
The intrigue: Trudeau resigned as Liberal Party leader in January amidst deep unpopularity, as polls showed his party was set to be trounced in October's elections by the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre.
- Yet the onset of the Trump administration has coincided with a change in the party's fortunes.
- Most polls now show the Liberals trailing only narrowly, and one Ipsos poll published last week gave the party its first lead since 2021.
- The Conservatives "are facing headwinds from rising anti-Trump sentiment and anticipation surrounding the Liberal Party's new leadership," Ipsos noted.
Zoom out: The souring relations between the two countries have already reverberated culturally.
- Canadian fans started booing the U.S. national anthem at hockey games last month, including ahead of a U.S. vs. Canada match that became a moment of national pride when Canada prevailed in overtime. "You can't take our country, and you can't take our game," Trudeau declared.
- Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky has faced harsh backlash from his fellow Canadians for his past support of Trump — prompting a Trump post defending him.
- Meanwhile, actor Mike Myers wore a "Canada is not for Sale" shirt on Saturday Night Live after portraying Elon Musk.
Several Canadian provinces announced plans last month to remove U.S. liquor from some liquor store shelves, while some Canadian businesses and shoppers have been boycotting American products.
- Canadian coffee shops have begun renaming Americanos "Canadianos," in a move reminiscent of Americans' attempts to rebrand french fries as"Freedom Fries" during the onset of the Iraq war.
What to watch: Canada is far more reliant on the U.S. economically than vice-versa, but Trudeau emphasized Tuesday that Americans will feel the pain as well.
- The bad blood is also far from over. "We're probably going to keep booing the American anthem," Trudeau said.
Go deeper: Canada drops the gloves, tells U.S. to blame Trump for tariff pain
