As Canada votes, Trump pushes US takeover plan

Canadians headed to the polls Monday in a pivotal election to choose a government that will confront escalating threats from President Donald Trump, who on election day called for the United States to absorb its northern neighbor.

The Liberal Party, newly led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, was initially trailing behind Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. However, Trump's intervention — including a Truth Social post promising "Zero tariffs" if Canada became the "51st state" — caused a sudden shift in the race.

"It was meant to be!" Trump declared online, further inflaming tensions between the two nations.

Carney, 60, a former central bank governor for both Canada and Britain, only assumed leadership from Justin Trudeau last month. Despite having no prior electoral experience, Carney has campaigned on his financial expertise, arguing he is uniquely qualified to manage the fallout from Trump's aggressive trade tactics.

He vowed to revitalize internal trade, reduce reliance on the U.S., and expand economic ties abroad, warning Canadians that under Trump, America "wants to break us, so they can own us."

"We don't need chaos, we need calm. We don't need anger, we need an adult," Carney said in the final days of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Poilievre, 45, a career politician, tried to steer the focus back to domestic issues that had eroded Trudeau’s popularity, including soaring living costs, housing shortages, and crime. He warned voters that a Liberal victory would mean a continuation of what he called "the lost Liberal decade."

"You cannot handle another four years of this," Poilievre said during a weekend rally.

While Poilievre criticized Trump’s comments, he argued that Liberal mismanagement left Canada vulnerable to external threats.

A tight race

Final polls indicated a tight contest, but momentum appeared to favor Carney. A CBC poll aggregator on Sunday put the Liberals at 42.8% support, compared to 38.8% for the Conservatives.

Many voters said Trump's attacks pushed them toward supporting Carney.
"I wanted change, but I'll vote for Carney because he’s a strong, serious man and that's what we need to face Trump," said Hamza Fahri, a 28-year-old engineer in Montreal.

Others, like Kelsey Leschasin from Saskatchewan, remained committed to change, expressing frustration with Liberal governance.
"I don't agree with how they're running our country," she said.

However, some Canadians lamented that the campaign had been overwhelmed by American politics, sidelining issues like social equality.

"It's unfortunate we only talked about Trump," said Julie Demers, a 37-year-old mother of two.

If the Liberals secure a win, it would mark one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Canadian political history. Back in January, the Conservatives led by more than 20 points after Trudeau’s resignation announcement.

Nearly 29 million Canadians are eligible to vote, and a record 7.3 million cast ballots early. To form a majority government, a party needs 172 out of 343 seats.

The performance of smaller parties — particularly the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois — could prove decisive in determining whether Carney's Liberals can secure a majority or will need to govern with a minority once again.