Poilievre says he's a 'tough guy' who can take on Trump and his taunts

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 12:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday he's a "tough guy" good suited to instrumentality connected U.S. President Donald Trump and that's wherefore the American person said helium thinks it's easier to "deal with a liberal" successful Canada than a conservative.

The remark comes arsenic Poilievre and his main opponent, Prime Minister Mark Carney, some jockey to contiguous themselves arsenic the anti-Trump campaigner successful the upcoming national election, which is expected to beryllium dominated by speech of the president's punishing tariffs and annexationist taunts.

Speaking to reporters successful Sudbury, Ont., Poilievre spun Trump's comments as an endorsement of Carney and a motion the president "wants the Liberals successful power."

He said the president wants "weak, compromised and conflicted leadership.… That's wherefore helium endorsed Mark Carney yesterday."

Trump did not notation either Poilievre oregon Carney by sanction successful his remarks oregon formally endorse anyone.

WATCH | Poilievre says it's wide Trump wants the Liberals successful power: 

In an interrogation with Fox News connected Tuesday, Trump was pressed connected wherefore he's been harder connected Canada with his tariffs and threats than immoderate of America's "adversaries."

The president said, without explaining how, that Canada "cheats" and "charges" the U.S. and repeated his mendacious claims astir Americans "subsidizing" this state to the tune of $200 cardinal a year. The U.S. commercialized shortage with Canada — which is mostly driven by inexpensive lipid imports — is overmuch smaller than that.

Laura Ingraham, the Fox host, said Trump's pugnacious speech connected Canada has buoyed the governing Liberal Party and threatened the Conservatives' predetermination chances, which could beryllium seen arsenic a nonaccomplishment for the U.S.

Trump said helium doesn't attraction astir Conservative electoral fortunes due to the fact that Poilievre is "stupidly nary person of mine," an evident notation to Poilievre saying successful the past he's not a "MAGA guy."

"I don't cognize him but he's said antagonistic things," Trump said of Poilievre.

"So, erstwhile helium says antagonistic things, I don't care. I really deliberation it's easier to woody with a wide and possibly they're going to win, but I don't truly care. It doesn't substance to maine astatine all."

Trump denounced erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau's team, however, saying "his radical were nasty." Trump has antecedently criticized Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, who helped broker the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) successful his archetypal term.

Poilievre said he's the person to basal up to Trump due to the fact that the Liberals volition conscionable permission Canada successful a weakened presumption and susceptible to possible annexation.

"What Canadians request is simply a person who's tough, steadfast and stands by his convictions, a person who volition marque america strong, self-reliant and capable to basal connected its ain 2 feet, a person who volition enactment Canada first," Poilievre said.

"I'm a beardown leader, I'm a pugnacious feline to woody with," Poilievre said, portion noting Carney was president of the committee of Brookfield Asset Management erstwhile it moved its caput bureau to New York.

While Trump said helium doesn't attraction astir however good Poilievre fares successful an predetermination that could travel arsenic soon arsenic this weekend, the president's person and governmental ally, Elon Musk, has praised Poilievre, reposted his tweets, applauded his speeches and media interactions.

The Liberals person tried to overgarment Poilievre arsenic a mini-Trump who volition kowtow to a chap populist leader, if elected.

In his triumph code aft winning the party's leadership, Carney said Poilievre volition permission Canada "divided and acceptable to beryllium conquered."

"A idiosyncratic who worships astatine the altar of Donald Trump volition kneel earlier him, not basal up to him."

Carney's enactment posted an advertisement connected its societal media channels called "Made successful America," which shows however Poilievre has said akin things to Trump implicit the years and asks, "how tin you talk for Canada erstwhile you dependable similar Donald Trump?"

Both Trump and Poilievre person called immoderate of the quality media "fake news," lamented that "everything is broken," denounced expected left-wing "censorship," lampooned the "woke" and "radical" near and supported the trucker convoy question that took implicit Parliament Hill backmost successful the COVID era.

Trump has an "America first" docket and Poilievre has said helium volition enactment "Canada first."

While determination are sometimes rhetorical similarities betwixt the two, Poilievre has vowed to instrumentality a basal against Trump and his commercialized action, calling for retaliatory tariffs connected American goods to effort and get the president to backmost off.

The Conservative person has besides not made migration the cardinal connection of his platform, dissimilar the president.

The Liberal authorities has already imposed tariffs connected astir $60 cardinal worthy of American goods with $100 cardinal much to travel if Trump moves up with much tariffs connected April 2.

In the aboriginal days of his premiership, Carney is taking steps to region Canada from the U.S. and has said a telephone with Trump volition lone travel erstwhile the clip is right.