Canadians look for a new defender as Trump triggers anger and fear in the country

As Canada prepares to vote, two men not on stage were nonetheless top of mind at a recent debate: US President Donald Trump and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

For Canadian voters, blink and you could practically miss this campaign. Not only is it lightning fast at just five weeks long, but the ho-hum pace of the race means that the tone and tenor haven’t changed much since the election was called in late March. That doesn’t mean Canadians have tuned out, quite the opposite: early ratings indicate they watched with interest as national leaders – including Prime Minister Mark Carney and his key rival Pierre Poilievre – debated in both French and English the last couple of evenings in Montreal. Two men not on stage were nonetheless top of mind, as they have been throughout the campaign: US President Donald Trump and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump has proven a convenient foil for Carney, a political rookie who has been Canada’s leader for only a matter of weeks. Carney mentioned Trump and his threats early and often in the debates. “We can give ourselves far more than Donald Trump can ever take away,” said Carney within minutes, setting the tone for the two-hour face-off between four Canadian party leaders, rounded out by Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, and leader of the New Democratic Party Jagmeet Singh.