Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party, currently lagging in the polls, is employing a novel strategy to regain support. They are leveraging the unpopularity of former U.S. President Donald Trump‘s MAGA brand to challenge the rising popularity of their Conservative rivals, led by Pierre Poilievre.
What Happened: The Liberals are attempting to paint Poilievre as a hard-right populist out of line with Canadian values, akin to Trump. This strategy comes despite Trump not yet being the official Republican nominee for the upcoming U.S. elections, POLITICO reported.
A potential Trump re-election bid could heavily influence the timing and outcome of Canada’s next election, with Trudeau’s prospects currently looking grim. The Liberals have been emphasizing that Poilievre is “not worth the risk,” describing him as “reckless” and “unhinged” in an attempt to link him to the controversial Trump brand.
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Despite this, Conservatives argue that this strategy reeks of desperation and predict it will backfire when voters scrutinize Trudeau’s record. Some even suggest that Poilievre is closer to a conventional conservative like Paul Ryan, advocating lower taxes and personal freedom, rather than a hard-right populist.
Political science professor Alex Marland suggests that this marks a significant shift for Trudeau, who previously avoided negative campaigning. However, current polling numbers have forced a change in strategy as the Liberals attempt to regain ground.
The outcome of this political maneuvering remains uncertain. Whether Trudeau’s Liberals can successfully leverage Trump’s controversial image to their advantage in the upcoming elections will undoubtedly make for a closely watched race.
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