Posted originally on CTH on March 24, 2025 | Sundance

Interim installed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed the snap election for Canada is scheduled for April 28, 2025.

Given that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre generally sealed his fate with criticism of President Trump while aligning himself with a surging patriotic-leftist movement, it is now expected that Mark Carney will win the election.

Politico has an article about the dynamic underway, and the following quotes are noteworthy:

CANADA – […] Trump has even taken credit for turning the Liberals’ fortunes around.

“Before I got involved and totally changed the election — which I don’t care about, probably, it’s our advantage, actually — but the Conservative was leading against, I call him Governor Trudeau. The conservative was leading by 35 points,” he said Friday, while exaggerating the polls.

“I think Canada is a place, like a lot of other places, if you have a good candidate, the candidate is going to work,” Trump said.

[…] Canadians have responded to Trump’s intimidation tactics with an outburst of patriotism. They are canceling spring break plans, buying made-in-Canada products, damaging Teslas and booing “The Star Spangled Banner” at professional sporting events.

Carney’s campaign slogan is “Canada Strong” while Poilievre’s is “Canada First.”

[…] In a recent interview with Fox News, the president was asked about how his recent treatment toward Canada appears to be helping the Liberal party.

“I don’t care,” he said. “I think it’s easier to deal, actually, with a liberal and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care.”

Trump went on to say Poilievre “is stupidly no friend of mine” because of the “negative things” he has said about the president.

Poilievre has tried to frame the comments as proof that Trump is endorsing Carney, while the Conservative leader attempts to revamp his strategy to meet the moment. (read more)

From the perspective of President Trump, the main asset in the arsenal of the Canadian tariffs is “energy.”  As a consequence, having a strong “climate change” prime minister up there will mitigate any use of the energy sector and help the strategic North American economic strategy of President Trump.

{GO DEEP}

Boycotts by Canadians are generally welcomed in the U.S. hospitality industry, not coincidentally an industry of great familiarity to President Trump.   Canada simply doesn’t have any tariff weapons in their arsenal for countervailing duties.

The latest strategy by the Canadian government is to rent billboards in various red states, trying to convince Americans they need Canada more than they need Donald Trump’s reciprocity tariffs.  It is a dubious proposition at best, and a little funny all things considered.  But hey, the feels. [Prompted]