Donald Trump’s tariff threats seem to have turned the tide of Canada’s upcoming federal election against the country’s Conservative party.
Just six weeks ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party was polling 26 points behind their conservative counterparts. Now, they have eked out a 38-36 advantage, according to the pollster Ipsos.
The sudden shift seems to be driven by anti-Trump sentiment spurred by his plan to impose a 25 percent import tax against Canada.
Trump delayed the tariffs, which were also leveled against Mexico, by a month after talking to the countries’ leaders. However, he indicated on Tuesday that they would go into place during the first week of March.
The Ipsos poll indicated that 86 percent of Canadians agreed with the statement “We need a federal election immediately, so we have a Prime Minister and government with a strong mandate to deal with the tariff threat from President Trump.”
The Liberals, who are now leading the Conservatives for the first time in four years, were polling underwater when Trudeau announced that he was stepping down amid concerns—even from within his party—about his leadership.
The election could take place as soon as late March, although the Liberals have yet to name a replacement leader to Trudeau.
Since becoming president, Trump has also ramped up his antagonization of Canada, repeatedly suggesting that it become the “51st state.”
The suggestion drew widespread rebukes from Canadians across the political spectrum, including the man who is credited with bringing MAGA-style conservative politics to the country.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said in a January post, “Canada will never be the 51st state. Period. We are a great and independent country.”
At the time, Poilievre’s stance was echoed by Trudeau, who wrote: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”
