
If Justin Trudeau were still leading the Liberal Party, the Conservatives would be running away with the polls. It wouldn’t matter what Trump said or did—Trudeau had become a political poison pill. His brand was tired, his presence polarizing. The moment he was eased out—let’s be honest, forced out—and Mark Carney took the reins, everything changed.
In a matter of weeks, the Liberals didn’t just close the gap—they blew past the Conservatives. Momentum in politics is everything, and Carney knew it. He called snap elections the second the Liberals took the lead. But make no mistake: this reversal came down to two seismic shifts—Trump at the helm of chaos in the U.S., and Trudeau finally out of the picture.
For years, Canadians were focused on the usual domestic battles—cost of living, housing, taxes, energy. The kind of stuff every nation grapples with. But then came Trump.
He called Canada the 51st state. His surrogates mocked the country, questioned the legitimacy of its border, and hurled accusations about fentanyl trafficking. It was stupid, vile, and needlessly provocative. And in doing so, Trump ignited something no Canadian politician had managed in years: a unifying fire.
Suddenly, Canadians—across regions, ideologies, and generations—rallied around a common cause: Reject Ugly MAGA. “Elbows up” became the national mood. Sporting events saw American teams booed. Canada looked more and more like Europe—standing tall in the face of American chaos.
Voters stopped asking which leader could lower their rent. They started asking: Who can stand up to this wave of hatred pouring in from the south?
Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, had built his entire brand attacking Trudeau. His speeches were honed, his soundbites sharp. But once Trudeau exited the stage, those same lines started landing flat. The punching bag was gone—and with it, the script he’d clung to for years.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Concis to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.