U.S. President Trump is poised to be the top ballot box issue with the Canadian federal election campaign underway.
“Canadians are transfixed on Donald Trump and relations with Donald Trump,” said CTV official pollster and head of Nanos Research, Nik Nanos.
In a survey done exclusively for CTV News, Nanos Research was the first to publish polling that showed Trump, and how federal party leaders will deal with him, is a top concern for Canadian voters.
Nanos research was the first to publish polling that showed that Trump, and how federal party leaders deal with him, is a top concern for Canadian voters.
Thirty-six per cent of respondents said Trump is the most important issue to influence their vote. The economy followed closely behind, at 29 per cent.
Party leaders vie to control the message during any election campaign. But tariff threats, sovereignty concerns and general stress over what’s coming from south of the border mean Trump could be in the driver’s seat during this campaign. Nanos says that creates a pressure cooker, with leaders having to respond daily to Trump’s comments and try and convince Canadians they are the best person to manage that relationship.
The stakes are high.
“If you mess up on a response to Donald Trump, or what you think he’s just said, it could be completely devastating for a federal party leader,” Nanos said.
What party leaders are saying about Trump
The campaign is in its infancy, but leaders have already been responding to questions about Trump at nearly every opportunity.
“Trump wants to break us, so America can own us. We will not let that happen,” said Liberal Leader Mark Carney Monday at a campaign stop in Gander, N.L.
“In the fight with Donald Trump, who do you think is actually going to put your family first? Who is going to put working people first?” New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh said at a pre-campaign event in Hamilton last week. “It’s going to be us.”
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trump needs to “knock it off” Monday, referring to “unjustified threats.”
“The only way to make that happen is to reject a fourth Liberal term and elect a new Conservative government that puts Canada first,” he said at an event in Brampton, Ont.
According to political psychologist, Amanda Bittner, this is an emotional time for voters, with so much uncertainty.
“We’ve seen fear over tariffs, fear over becoming the 51st state. Fear over, you know, do we have to suddenly pop on Kevlar vest and go to war? Suddenly, there’s an increase in nationalism,” said Bittner, of Memorial University.
She says Canadian voters are looking for solutions to problems, as well as who is best suited to manage the relationship with the Trump administration.
Bittner also says the uncertainty could translate into a turnout boost at the polls. People are more driven to vote when something is at stake.
“Parties are going to kind of hit the ground running on a certain level. They won’t have to remind voters that they exist.”
Abigail Bimman is an Ottawa-based correspondent for CTV National News
