The US, from protector to threat: How Trump’s annexation talk and tariff threats upended Canada’s election and forced the nation to reimagine its future.
Americans see Canada as that friendly neighbor up north. Canadians now see America as their greatest threat. How did we get here, and what does it mean for both nations?
As veteran political analyst and Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne reveals in this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast, Trump’s talk of annexation and punitive tariffs has profoundly transformed Canada’s relationship with the US, creating a mixture of bewilderment, fear and, unexpectedly for Canadians, fierce national pride.
For Coyne, author of the upcoming book The Crisis of Canadian Democracy, the impact goes far beyond politics: It’s forcing Canadians to question basic assumptions about their sovereignty and security that have held firm since World War II. What was once unthinkable — the need to defend against US aggression — has become part of the national conversation.
Coyne explains how this has dramatically altered Canada’s election landscape. Where once Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre commanded a 25-point lead in the polls, everything changed after Trump’s threats.
The Liberals’ replacement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with former central banker Mark Carney — whose technocratic gravitas stands in stark contrast to Poilievre’s more combative style — has transformed the election into a referendum on who can best protect Canada from the United States.
Drawing on his coverage of 12 Canadian elections, Coyne warns that this convergence of external threats and a weakened parliamentary democracy creates a perfect storm. As power increasingly concentrates in the prime minister’s office and Canada confronts a newly hostile southern neighbor, this election could reshape the country’s direction for generations to come.
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