Silver linings are few and far between when it comes to the Trump istration, but one notable side effect is that other countries have taken a peek at what’s now going on in the White House and responded with a disgusted “ew, gross!”
Donald Trump is so nakedly corrupt, chaotic, and incompetent that candidates and parties who wouldn’t ordinarily stand a chance are receiving a rapid re-evaluation from voters, if only to put as much distance between themselves and the United States. This is precisely what happened in Canada yesterday.
Up until Trump’s election victory, the Canadian Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre were set for a barnstorming rout of the Liberal Party. Now the “Trump factor” saw Canadians abandon the Conservatives in droves, preferring the security and competence of the ‘boring’ Mark Carney. Heck, Poilievre even lost his own seat!
Carney: President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, ever happen pic.twitter.com/dUEI0YGSM2
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 29, 2025
Carney has wasted no time underlining that he’s fully prepared to strike back against Trump and meet any aggression from the U.S. border. In his victory speech, he told a cheering crowd: “America wants our land, our resources, our water. These are not idle threats. Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never happen.”
This is effectively a response to a Trump Truth Social post on election day that repeated his vow to make Canada “the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America”. It’s the kind of message that would have had the Conservatives wringing their hands with frustration as Trump himself does the best electioneering possible for the Liberals.
It’s been widely noted that even if Trump succeeds with his bonkers plan, it’d instantly backfire on him. Canada is much more liberal than the United States, so incorporating it would instantly swing American politics to the left. If Canada’s 10 provinces were added as states, that’d mean 20 new Canadian senators, 52 new Canadian House representatives, and an additional 54 new votes in the Electoral College.
This would effectively be the death knell for Trumpism and the Republican Party in its current form, as both would suddenly be subject to voters who’d understandably hate their guts. Alternatively (and depressingly!) Trump could just seize Canada and deny them a democratic say in who rules over them, but maybe having 40 million extraordinarily unhappy new citizens wouldn’t work out well either. Either way, whatever happens, Trump is firmly on the back foot and Carney and the Canadians are laughing down at him. Here’s hoping that lasts.
Published: Apr 29, 2025 05:05 am