When Trump becomes more admired than Canada’s own prime minister, it signals a government in crisis. Yet that is the remarkable reality facing Justin Trudeau today.
As Trudeau’s domestic support crumbles, Donald Trump has found an unlikely foothold among Canadians. His surging popularity north of the border is less an endorsement of Trump than a rejection of Trudeau’s floundering leadership.
It demonstrates a deep dissatisfaction with the direction Canada is headed under Trudeau. His unkept promises and unsuccessful policies have disillusioned many who once believed in him.
With Trump offering disruption of a failed status quo, more Canadians are turning in frustration toward his populist appeal. It represents a warning siren that citizens feel let down and left behind by the Trudeau Liberals.
With Canadians losing hope and turning to Trump, the biggest question facing the nation is this: Has Trudeau’s time come and gone? Is it time for him to step aside and let new leadership take the reins?
As Canadians turn on Trudeau due to catastrophic policies hindering every aspect of society including inflation, housing crisis, and unprecedented immigration levels, Trump’s popularity is becoming more popular among Canadians.
Donald Trump’s surprising popularity among Canadians, especially younger Canadians, has become one of the most unexpected and perplexing political developments in recent years.
While Canadians have traditionally leaned strongly toward Democratic candidates in U.S. presidential elections, Trump seems to have tapped into an undercurrent of right-leaning populism north of the border that has caught many off guard.
The fact that Trump garners higher favorability among Canadian youth than even their American counterparts suggests a political and ideological shift may be underway that could have major implications on elections and policy debates in Canada for years to come.
Much analysis has focused on a recent poll by Spark Advocacy that gauged Canadian attitudes toward a hypothetical 2024 matchup between Trump and current president Joe Biden. The poll found that overall, Biden held a commanding lead with 67% support among Canadians.
However, Trump secured an unusually high 33% of Canadian votes. This surpasses current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval rating, which sits at just 31% according to Angus Reid polling. Trudeau only won 32.6% of the vote in the 2021 federal election that gave his Liberal Party a minority government. So the idea that Trump could theoretically outpace Trudeau’s popularity in Canada is quite remarkable.
But the most eye-opening finding of the Spark Advocacy poll was the strong pro-Trump leanings it uncovered among Canadian youth. More than one-third of Canadian women under age 44 backed Trump in the hypothetical matchup. Even more strikingly, a full 52% of Canadian men under 44 voiced support for Trump over Biden. This young male demographic formed Trump’s strongest base of support in Canada. In fact, the rate of Trump support among under-44 Canadians exceeded that of self-identified Canadian conservatives, only 50% of whom picked Trump in the poll.
U.S. polls show Trump typically polling in the 30s among young American voters. Yet Trump seems to resonate even more among young Canadians if the Spark poll is to be believed. This suggests a groundswell of youth support in Canada for Trump’s particular style of right-wing populism. The survey aligns with other polling and analysis pointing to Canadian youth increasingly shifting toward conservatism. The Conservative Party under its new leader Pierre Poilievre has surged in popularity among the under-30 and 30-44 age brackets. This echoes the phenomenon of young Canadians skewing toward Trump.
Seeing the Conservative Party dominate among younger Canadians is highly abnormal historically. The last time it happened was 1984 under Brian Mulroney. But even then, older Canadians still backed Mulroney in higher numbers. Today, Poilievre’s supporters seem concentrated squarely among youth. Just as with Trump, Poilievre is managing to tap into a generational shift happening in Canada below the surface. The common thread seems to be a wave of anti-establishment resentment among younger Canadians toward the political status quo.
This backlash appears driven chiefly by economic anxieties. Younger Canadians today face immense challenges that previous generations did not. Data shows Canadians under 34 are far less likely to see home ownership as attainable for people like themselves. Housing prices have skyrocketed out of reach for many young people.
Poilievre has channeled the frustrations of priced-out young people by attacking “gatekeepers” and pledging to increase housing supply to improve affordability. Polling reveals the vast majority of Canadians aged 30-44 sympathize with Poilievre’s critique of the housing situation. It likely explains his popularity with these younger demographics.
The housing crisis seems to feed into a broader discontent among Canadian youth with the way the country is governed under Trudeau. Surveys by groups like Angus Reid and Leger have found young Canadians are the age group most upset with the status quo and most likely to feel Canada is on the wrong track. There is a sense the social contract has been broken for young people, which fuels their receptiveness to disruptive populist voices like Trump or Poilievre.
Even young Canadians who lean left have voiced dissatisfaction with Trudeau and the Liberals for not doing enough to address generational inequities.
The wave of youth discontent that Trump tapped into in the U.S. reflects a broader phenomenon now spilling over into Canada as well. This reveals the systemic extent of the grievances young people harbor today. Canadian youth face an economic and political vise that the establishment has ignored, making outside voices like Trump’s appeal to them.
Trump’s appeal to young people goes deeper than just policy issues. He represents a bold, anti-establishment personality and approach that many youth find inspiring. Trump takes an aggressive stance against mainstream media and political correctness. This resonates with young conservatives tired of walking on eggshells. Trump’s maverick style and promise to shake up the system also connect emotionally. He is seen as a fighter taking on a stale status quo that has failed to serve young Canadians’ interests. For youth feeling stifled by today’s culture and Trudeau’s policies, Trump’s brash truth-telling provides a disruptive, radical response. Whether one agrees with Trump or not, it’s clear he taps into a youthful rebellious spirit and worldview that establishment politicians struggle to understand.
This may point to a hunger among some in the younger generation for public figures who are confrontational, unfiltered, and unconcerned with polite norms. Especially among young males, Trump’s alpha male energy and bullying rhetoric can feel refreshingly anti-establishment. Even some non-conservative youth may see Trump’s political incorrectness as a tool for breaking a tiresome Overton Window. This youth craving for conflict as a vehicle for change should not be underestimated as a cultural phenomenon.
We must also consider that Trump’s policies on hot-button issues like immigration resonate with young Canadians. Rejection of increased diversity and multiculturalism in favor of nationalist populist policies plays well among some youth cohorts. Trump may symbolize a defense of traditional identity and values against liberal overreach. His stances on issues from border security to gender definitions, filtered through internet subcultures, connect powerfully with young people already predisposed ideologically. This appears just as true in Canada as south of the border.
The regional, educational and socioeconomic dimensions of Trump support in Canada also warrant examination. Youth backing for Trumpism could manifest differently in Quebec versus Alberta, or among university-educated millennials versus rural non-college Gen Z. Unpacking the nuances is important. But the overarching lesson is that a noteworthy bloc of younger Canadians across regions and backgrounds seems sympathetic to Trump and the populist-nationalist renewal he represents for conservatism.
The growing support for Trump among Canadian youth should be a wakeup call for all. It shows the failure of establishment parties like Trudeau’s Liberals to address the real economic and social anxieties facing young people today. Dismissing these voters’ concerns out of hand risks further disillusioning them. Their frustrations are valid and deserve good-faith engagement.
The surge of youth populism reveals how institutions have betrayed the younger generation, leaving them to enter adulthood with diminished hopes and opportunities. Successive Liberal governments have presided over this breakdown of the social contract. Soaring housing costs, uncontrolled immigration levels, mounting inflation – young Canadians are right to feel angry at Trudeau’s failures.
Canadians have lost hope in Justin Trudeau’s government after too many unfulfilled promises and failed policies. Trudeau came to power pledging transformative change. Yet time after time, he has been unable to deliver for Canadians who once believed in him. From the ethics scandals to the deteriorating economy, Trudeau’s record is one of disappointment. This has caused his approval ratings to plummet lower and lower.
Meanwhile, Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre have surged as more Canadians look for alternatives to Trudeau’s tired government. Poilievre has tapped into public frustration and anger, promising real change that helps ordinary people again. His message of economic freedom and standing up to elites is resonating. As faith in Trudeau crumbles, Poilievre’s support has only grown. More and more Canadians are turning away from Trudeau’s Liberals and seeing Poilievre’s Conservatives as the hope for the future. Trudeau’s failings have paved the way for Conservatives to rise.
Canadians are fed up with Justin Trudeau. His long list of broken promises and bad policies have let people down. Because of this, Trudeau’s popularity is tanking. At the same time, Trump’s bold style is appealing to more and more Canadians. They see Trump taking on the establishment and political elites who have failed regular folks.
This is especially true with young Canadians. They are drawn to Trump’s tell-it-like-it-is attitude and his fight against the system. Trudeau just looks weak and ineffective in comparison.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is paying attention. He sees the opportunity to tap into the same frustration and anger that Trump has tapped into. Poilievre is offering real change and solutions that help ordinary Canadians again.
More and more people are listening. Trudeau’s support is crumbling while Poilievre’s Conservatives gain ground. The combination of Trudeau’s failures and Trump’s appeal could sweep Poilievre into power when Canada votes in 2025.
