President Donald Trump has inserted himself into Canadian politics on election day, suggesting that Canada would face “ZERO TARIFFS” if it “becomes the cherished 51st state.”
Canada is holding elections for a new government amid a trade war and annexation threats from President Donald Trump, who has proposed that the United States absorb its neighbor.
The Liberal Party, led by new Prime Minister Mark Carney, was initially projected to lose to the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre. However, Trump’s attacks on Canada have caused a sudden shift in poll forecasts.
Trump has directly intervened in Canadian politics on election day, stating in a Truth Social post that Canada would face “ZERO TARIFFS” if it “becomes the cherished 51st state.”
“IT WAS MEANT TO BE!” he said.
Carney, who recently replaced Justin Trudeau as prime minister, has a background as an investment banker and has served as a central bank governor in both Canada and Britain.
Carney argues that his global financial experience has prepared him to lead Canada’s response to Trump’s tariffs.
He has also pledged to boost internal trade and expand Canada’s economic opportunities abroad to reduce reliance on the United States, a country he says “we can no longer trust.”
Carney has repeatedly warned that the United States under Trump “wants to break us, so they can own us.”
“We don’t need chaos, we need calm. We don’t need anger, we need an adult,” Carney said in the campaign’s closing days.
Poilievre, a career politician, has focused on domestic issues that made Trudeau unpopular, such as rising living costs.
The Tory leader argues that Carney would continue “the lost Liberal decade” and that only a new Conservative government can address crime, housing shortages, and other domestic priorities.
“You cannot handle another four years of this,” he said over the weekend.
Poilievre has criticized Trump but argues that poor Liberal governance has left Canada vulnerable to a hostile United States.
Final polls indicate a close race but favor Carney.
Surveys also suggest that voters see Carney as the best candidate to handle Trump.
Montreal resident Hamza Fahri described the election as “unique.”
“I wanted to vote for change in Canada. I wanted the Liberals to go, but in the end, I’ll vote for Carney because he is a strong, serious man and that’s what the country needs to face Trump,” the 28-year-old engineer told AFP.
Kelsey Leschasin, from the Conservative-leaning province of Saskatchewan, said her priority was “change.”
“I don’t agree with the Liberal government and how they’re running our country,” she told AFP.
Julie Demers expressed concern about Trump’s influence on the campaign.
“I think it’s unfortunate that we only talked about American politics,” the 37-year-old mother of two said, regretting that social equality had been sidelined.
A Liberal victory would be a significant turnaround in Canadian political history.
On January 6, when Trudeau announced his resignation, the Conservatives led the Liberals by more than 20 points in most polls.
Carney’s replacement of Trudeau and public concern about Trump have transformed the race.
Public broadcaster CBC’s poll aggregator on Sunday put the Liberals’ national support at 42.8 percent, with the Conservatives at 38.8 percent.
National polling numbers may not accurately predict the election outcome.
The performance of smaller parties, such as the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the separatist Bloc Quebecois, could be decisive.
Nearly 29 million of Canada’s 41 million people are eligible to vote.
Canadians will elect 343 members of parliament, with 172 seats needed for a majority. The Liberals won a majority in 2015 but have governed with a minority since 2019.
Credit: AFP
