Canadians Vote in Pivotal Election, as Trump’s Tariffs, Annexation Talk Loom Large

Trump last week warned he might impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian-made cars and, on election day, once again called for Canada to join the United States.
Canadians Vote in Pivotal Election, as Trump’s Tariffs, Annexation Talk Loom Large
Voters lining up outside a polling station prior to opening to cast their ballots on election day, in Ottawa, Canada, on April 28, 2025. Dave Chan/AFP/Getty Images
Tom Ozimek
Updated:
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EDMONTON, Canada—Canadians headed to the polls on April 28 in a pivotal election after a campaign shaped in part by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and repeated calls to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.

What began as a contest focused on affordability, housing, and crime evolved into a campaign dominated by questions of sovereignty and patriotism after Trump repeatedly suggested annexing Canada and threatened sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods.

The late-stage shift in focus appeared to boost Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, a political newcomer but a seasoned economic manager who once led Canada’s central bank and the Bank of England. Carney cast the election as a battle to defend Canadian independence, portraying Trump’s threats as a serious warning for the country’s future.

Support for Carney’s Liberals rose in the final stretch. A CTV News-Globe and Mail-Nanos poll released on April 27 showed the party holding a narrow 2.7-point national lead over Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. An EKOS poll projected a possible Liberal majority in the 343-seat House of Commons, Canada’s version of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Poilievre, however, remained competitive in key battlegrounds, capitalizing on widespread frustration over the rising cost of living and positioning himself as a champion of working-class and middle-class Canadians seeking relief from high inflation and housing shortages.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre waves to the crowd at a campaign rally in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on April 27, 2025. (Peter Power/AFP via Getty Images)
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre waves to the crowd at a campaign rally in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on April 27, 2025. Peter Power/AFP via Getty Images
Liberal Leader Mark Carney holds an election rally in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on April 26, 2025. (Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Liberal Leader Mark Carney holds an election rally in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on April 26, 2025. Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Also on the ballot are several smaller parties that could influence the balance of power.

Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party, broadly comparable to progressive Democrats in the United States, has advocated for expanded public health care, stronger labor rights, and higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

The Bloc Québécois, led by Yves-François Blanchet, is a Quebec nationalist party that has been advocating greater autonomy for Quebec within Canada and promoting policies tailored to the province’s French-speaking identity.

The Green Party, co-led by Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault, has focused on aggressive climate action, democratic reforms, and social justice issues.

The People’s Party of Canada, led by former Conservative politician Maxime Bernier, represents a right-leaning populist platform advocating for sharply reduced immigration, skepticism toward climate policies, and a smaller federal government.

Voter enthusiasm appeared strong. According to Elections Canada, an all-time high of 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots in advance over the Easter weekend, exceeding the previous record of 5.8 million advance votes in 2021. If election day turnout matches early voting numbers, total turnout could far surpass that of the past two federal elections.

Trump’s Remarks in Final Days

Trump late last week warned that he might raise tariffs on Canadian-made cars, which were set at 25 percent in late March.
“Good luck to the great people of Canada,” Trump wrote on April 28 on Truth Social. “Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free ... WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st State.”

Poilievre, who had largely focused his campaign on economic and affordability issues, responded directly to Trump’s comments.

“President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box,” he wrote on social media. “Canada will always be proud, sovereign, and independent, and we will NEVER be the 51st state.”

He urged Canadians to vote for “change” to strengthen Canada and to stand up to the United States “from a position of strength.”

Poilievre had built momentum earlier in the year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in January, ending nearly a decade in power. His platform, dubbed “100 Days of Change,” promises sweeping reforms, including scrapping the federal carbon tax, boosting Canadian energy production to create high-paying jobs, and introducing a “three strikes, you’re out” law mandating a minimum 10-year sentence for repeat serious offenders.
Speaking at a recent rally in Oakville, Ontario, Poilievre pledged to “restore our freedoms, repeal censorship, and end cancel culture,” drawing cheers from supporters.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre gives a thumbs up as he and his wife, Anaida, depart a polling place after voting in Ontario, Canada, on April 28, 2025. (Geoff Robins / AFP)
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre gives a thumbs up as he and his wife, Anaida, depart a polling place after voting in Ontario, Canada, on April 28, 2025. Geoff Robins / AFP
Canada's Liberal Party leader Mark Carney arrives in Ottawa, Canada, on April 28, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Liberal Party leader Mark Carney arrives in Ottawa, Canada, on April 28, 2025. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP

Carney, meanwhile, has sought to leverage Trump’s remarks by reframing the election around Canadian sovereignty. Standing on April 27 in front of the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit—Canada’s busiest border crossing—Carney criticized Trump’s trade threats.

“That has changed, and it wasn’t us who did the changing,” Carney said. “President Trump, the guy over there. He’s launched a trade war that has literally ruptured the global economy, and in the process, he’s betrayed us.”

Carney has pitched himself as a steady hand capable of protecting Canada’s economy and sovereignty, highlighting his leadership during previous global financial crises. His platform focuses on expanding federal dental care to cover 8 million more Canadians, investing $4 billion in health care infrastructure, and countering U.S. tariffs with retaliatory measures that return revenue to affected Canadian workers and businesses.

“We need a strong, positive government to respond to an unpredictable neighbor,” Carney said at a rally in Edmonton. He promised to remove all remaining federal barriers to trade between Canadian provinces by July 1, Canada Day.

The final weekend of the campaign was darkened by tragedy when a man drove an SUV into a crowd celebrating a Filipino community festival in Vancouver, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more.

Carney and Poilievre suspended campaigning briefly to offer condolences. At events on April 27, both leaders called for unity and resilience in the face of the attack, which police described as the worst mass casualty event in Vancouver’s history.

Isaac Teo and Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
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