Trump threatens Republican lawmakers after 6 defy him in House vote on Canada tariffs



Six congressional Republicans joined 213 Democrats on Wednesday in voting to effectively kill President Donald Trump's Canada tariffs.

Although House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) downplayed the president's ire over the act, Trump appeared sufficiently peeved on Truth Social, where he threatened the political futures of those GOP lawmakers who stood out of line.

The background

On his first day back in office, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border. The following month, he issued an executive order expanding the scope of the national emergency to address perceived drug-related threats at America's northern border, claiming that Canada's response to the alleged threats was unsatisfactory.

Citing the need for "decisive and immediate action," he slapped 25% tariffs on various goods from Canada except for oil and gas, which he slapped with a 10% tariff. In July, Trump increased the tariff rate from 25% to 35%.

'They are among the worst in the World to deal with.'

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have complained about the tariffs in the months since, and in October, four Republican senators joined their Democrat colleagues in passing a resolution disapproving of the president's tariffs on imports from Canada.

The vote

The House passed a resolution on Wednesday evening to terminate the national emergency declared on Feb. 1 in a 219-211 vote — several hours after House Speaker Mike Johnson warned against "trying to limit the president's power while he is in the midst of negotiating American First trade agreements,"

The six Republicans who helped pass the resolution were Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Kevin Kiley (Calif.), Jeff Hurd (Co.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Dan Newhouse (Wash.).

The resolution is headed now to the Senate, where it stands a good chance of passing given the upper chamber's track record. Trump can, however, ultimately veto it — and it appears unlikely that either chamber has the requisite two-thirds majority support to surmount a veto.

RELATED: Lone Republican defies Trump, votes to tank the SAVE Act

Photo by EVAN VUCCI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Newhouse explained his decision on Wednesday evening, stating, "Washington State’s economy is heavily intertwined with that of our neighbors to the North. Canada is our state’s second largest export market with billions of dollars in Washington commodities being sold there every year."

In addition to complaining about rising prices and the fallout of reciprocal tariffs, Newhouse noted that "Congress should not tie its own hands on our Constitutional authority to levy tariffs."

Hurd volunteered an even lengthier defense wherein he stressed that "Article I gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and to levy tariffs" and that the normalization of "broad emergency trade powers today" would enable future presidents to "rely on the same authority in ways many of us would strongly oppose."

"I support the goal of strengthening American industry. Where I differ is on the method," noted Hurd.

Bacon said ahead of the vote that Congress should not "outsource our responsibilities" and that "tariffs are a tax on American consumers."

Kiley suggested to CBS News that his opposition came down to protecting "the powers that belong to our branch of government."

Massie, who has repeatedly defied Trump, stated that his goal "is to defend the Constitution and represent the people" and that "taxing authority is vested in the House of Representatives, not the Executive."

The reaction

In the immediate wake of the vote, Mike Johnson told CNN that the president was "not upset. I just left the White House. He understands what’s going on. It’s not going to affect or change his policy. He can veto these things if they come to it."

Trump did, however, evidence some vexation, writing on Truth Social, "Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!"

"TARIFFS have given us Great National Security because the mere mention of the word has Countries agreeing to our strongest wishes," continued Trump. "TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege."

Trump's anger spilled over into another post, where he noted, "Canada has taken advantage of the United States on Trade for many years. They are among the worst in the World to deal with, especially as it relates to our Northern Border."

"TARIFFS make a WIN for us, EASY. Republicans must keep it that way!" added the president.

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Glenn Beck works to save pain-racked Canadian woman left at euthanasia dead end by broken socialist health care system



Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck and his team are desperately trying to save a woman in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan who has been failed by her country's socialist health care system.

Jolene Van Alstine of Regina has for eight years suffered from a rare parathyroid disease called normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism, which causes nausea and vomiting and draws calcium from the bones into the blood, resulting in extreme bone pain, weakened bone density, and fractures.

'I've been alone lying on the couch for eight years, sick and curled up in a ball, pushing for the day to end.'

Van Alstine has undergone three surgeries but still requires a specialized procedure to remove her overactive parathyroid gland.

The problem, according to Canadian state media, is that there is presently no surgeon in the province able to perform the operation. While there are apparently capable and available surgeons elsewhere in Canada, Van Alstine has indicated that she must first obtain a referral — and cannot secure one, as none of the endocrinologists in her region are accepting new patients.

Until this week, Van Alstine was running short on hope.

"My friends have stopped visiting me. I'm isolated. I've been alone lying on the couch for eight years, sick and curled up in a ball, pushing for the day to end," she told state media.

Glenn Beck noted Wednesday on his show, "She's riddled with pain. Yesterday, we found out that she was in the ER because she's having all kinds of complications because of this. And she can't take it any more."

"This one is so grotesque," continued Beck, "because the state would rather have her die."

'We expect to see more than 16,500 "medical assistance in dying" or euthanasia deaths.'

The prospect that her treatable disease might go untreated prompted Van Alstine to contemplate state-facilitated suicide, which is euphemistically referred to in Canada as Medial Assistance in Dying.

RELATED: 'Pro-death legislators' want euthanasia in Illinois — Canada reveals why that's a terrible idea

Photo by ROMAIN PERROCHEAU/AFP via Getty Images

"I understand how long and how much she's suffered, and it’s horrific, the physical suffering, but it's also the mental anguish," Miles Sundeen, Van Alstine's partner, said late last month. "No hope — no hope for the future, no hope for any relief. I don't want her to do it, but I understand where she's at."

George Carson, a MAID approval doctor, indicated this week that he assessed Van Alstine and provided her with his approval. Since she has apparently also received approval from a nurse practitioner, she now requires only one more approval in order to secure a spot among the tens of thousands of Canadians who will be snuffed out in the new year by their socialist health care system, which was originally founded by the eugenicist Tommy Douglas.

MAID is among the top five leading causes of death in Canada and accounted for 4.7% of all deaths in the country in 2023.

Rebecca Vachon, health program director at the Canadian think tank Cardus, recently told Blaze News that "based on current reporting from the most populous provinces, we expect to see more than 16,500 'medical assistance in dying' or euthanasia deaths in 2024, which is an increase from the 15,343 deaths reported in 2023. This will likely result in MAID deaths constituting 5% of total deaths in Canada that year."

MAID — which Canada's Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer boasted in October 2020 would, with expanded access, "result in a net reduction in health care costs for the provincial governments" — appears to be fast becoming a relief valve for a health care system that has come under great strain in part because of an aging population but largely because of the immigration-driven population gains overseen by the Trudeau Liberals.

'Imagine saving a woman's life for Christmas.'

Average annual immigration from 2000 to 2015 was 617,800. Under the Trudeau Liberals, average annual immigration was 1.4 million from 2016 to 2024.

As of April 1, 2025, Canada had an estimated population of just over 41.5 million people. According to the 2021 census, over 8.3 million people — 23% of the total population — "were, or had ever been, a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada." This, however, appears to be a gross undercount.

A new government report revealed that 38% of non-permanent residents — roughly another 576,000 — were potentially "missed" by the 2021 census.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, there were 2.41 physicians per 1,000 people. The United States, by comparison, reportedly has at least 3.6 doctors per 1,000. An estimated 5.9 million Canadians — around 14% — don't have regular access to a primary care provider.

"This is your socialized health care, gang," Beck said on Wednesday of Van Alstine's case.

"This is the reality of compassionate, progressive health care. Canada has to end this insanity. And Americans must never let it spread here."

After Van Alstine's last-ditch plea for help to Canadian lawmakers and officials failed to immediately produce the desired results, an American got involved.

"If there is any surgeon in America who can do this, I'll pay for this patient to come down here for treatment," Beck wrote Tuesday on X.

RELATED: JD Vance to Canada: Stop blaming Trump for your decline

Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Beck revealed in a series of announcements first, that multiple surgeons reached out with an interest in helping; second, that his team made contact with Van Alstine and Sundeen; and third, that his team had connected with the U.S. State Department after discovering that Van Alstine lacked a passport to gain legal entry into the United States.

"I'll fly her down. I'll put her up. I'll get her the doctors," Beck said on his show. "We need to get her the surgery."

"Imagine saving a woman's life for Christmas," added Beck.

"Is there anything better that we could do?"

Sundeen told Canadian state media after Beck's team spoke with him, "For us to have it done in the States would be financially impossible otherwise."

An Ipsos poll conducted last year for Global News found that 42% of Canadians would travel to the U.S. and personally pay for more routine health care if needed — up 10 percentage points over the previous year — and 38% would travel to the U.S. and pay out of pocket for emergency care — up 9 points over the previous year.

Sean Simpson, vice president of Ipsos Public Affairs, noted, "I think the increase is happening because of the increasing level of frustration that Canadians have in the health care system."

"It's not the quality of care that people are upset about; it is the timely access to care, meaning wait times in emergency rooms, wait times to see specialists, to get appointments, for screening," continued Simpson. "As a result, we have a significant chunk of the population say if they can get that service elsewhere, such as the United States, they may consider doing so."

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Trump says he's killing trade talks with Canada for 'trying to illegally influence' SCOTUS with anti-tariff ad



President Donald Trump announced late Thursday evening that he was terminating all trade negotiations with Canada.

The president — who struck a positive tone about the northern nation during his meeting earlier this month with Prime Minister Mark Carney and signaled a desire to make a deal on steel, aluminum, and energy — indicated that the decision to nix trade talks was in response to "egregious behavior," namely the decision by a provincial government to run TV ads critiquing tariffs south of the border.

'CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!!'

"The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs," wrote Trump. "The ad was for $75,000,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts."

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments next month regarding the legality of the tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Trump apparently saw the ad earlier in the week, telling reporters on Tuesday, "If I was Canada, I'd take that same ad also. They're actually on television taking ads."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's office indicated last week that it was spending $75 million on an anti-tariff ad that would air on ABC, Bloomberg, CBS, CNBC, ESPN, Fox News, NBC, Newsmax, and other networks.

Ford noted on Oct. 16, "It's official: Ontario's new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched. Using every tool we have, we'll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together."

RELATED: After years of woke land acknowledgments, some Canadian homeowners may soon be evicted

Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The premier, a staunch critic of the raft of high tariffs Trump has imposed on imports from Canada, reportedly suggested to a crowd of Toronto businessmen last week that he was hoping the ad, which contains audio from former President Ronald Reagan's April 25, 1987, radio address regarding protectionism, would resonate with Republicans.

In his address to the Toronto crowd, Ford cited new research from Yale University's Budget Lab indicating that "consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 18.0%, the highest since 1934," and that U.S. tariffs and foreign retaliation would cost American families roughly $1,800 a year in lost income.

"That ad — it's not a nasty ad. It's actually just very factual," said Ford. "Coming from a person like Ronald Reagan, every Republican is going to identify that voice."

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute issued a statement on Thursday, claiming that the ad "misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks."

A spokesperson for Ford's office denied wrongdoing, telling Canadian state media, "The commercial uses an unedited excerpt from one of President Reagan’s public addresses, which is available through public domain."

Reagan's remarks in Ford's ad all hail from the same five-minute speech in which the former president discussed both America's commitment to free trade and why he felt compelled to impose duties on select Japanese products. Contrary to the suggestion by Ford's spokesperson, the excerpt of the speech that appears in the 60-second ad has been substantially edited with the apparent intent to drive Ford's anti-tariff theme. For example:

  • multiple sentences were cut;
  • one sentence was lifted from its original spot at the outset of the speech and inserted midway through the ad with a "that" apparently swapped out for a "but";
  • another portion, which originally appeared just before the opening remarks heard in the speech, now appears toward the end of the voice-over; and
  • the second-last last line of the original speech — "America's jobs and growth are at stake" — has been moved to serve as a conclusion for the ad.

Below is a transcript of the Reagan voice-over for the ad. The ellipses signal where content was dropped, and those segments lifted from their original context elsewhere in the speech appear in bold:

When someone says, "Let's impose tariffs on foreign imports,'' it looks like they're doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes for a short while it works — but only for a short time. [But] over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer. ... High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. ... Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs. Throughout the world, there's a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition. America's jobs and growth are at stake.

The foundation indicated it was "reviewing its legal options in this matter" and provided a link to the full speech on YouTube, which is labeled as "unrestricted" for both access and use restrictions.

Trump leaned in to his criticism of Canada and the province's ad on Friday morning, writing, "CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY."

"Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country," continued Trump. "Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%. Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the U.S. any longer."

Blaze News has reached out to Premier Ford's office for comment.

Canadian state media indicated that Carney's office did not immediately respond to its request for comment.

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After years of woke land acknowledgments, some Canadian homeowners may soon be evicted



Liberals and others keen to signal their adherence to post-colonial theory for years started their meetings and conferences in Canada with land acknowledgments, thanking the descendants of those warring semi-nomadic, Stone Age peoples present at the time of European civilization's exportation to North America "for allowing us to meet and learn together on their territory."

Owing to a consequential court ruling on Aug. 7, some Canadians in Richmond, British Columbia, might ultimately have to acknowledge that their land is no longer legally their own — and get packing.

'The judge doesn't seem to have fully considered the panic her judgment would cause.'

Members of the Cowichan Tribes, an Indian band in B.C. comprising around 5,500 souls, brought a legal action several years ago against the Canadian federal government, the Province of British Columbia, the City of Richmond, and other parties, seeking a declaration of aboriginal title to 1,846 acres of land in Richmond.

After a 513-day trial with hearings spanning over 11 years, Justice Barbara Young of the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that:

  • the Cowichan have aboriginal title to the land in question;
  • the Crown grants of basic property ownership in the area, "and the Crown vesting of the soil and freehold interest in certain highway lands in the Cowichan Title Lands, unjustifiably infringe the Cowichan's Aboriginal title";
  • "Canada and Richmond’s fee simple titles and interests in the Cowichan Title Lands are defective and invalid"; and
  • members of the Indian band have a right to fish the south arm of the Fraser River for food.

While the judge did not order restitution, she tasked the federal and provincial governments with negotiating "in good faith towards reconciliation of Canada's fee simple interests in the area with Cowichan Aboriginal title."

This decision — which has been appealed by the province, the City of Richmond, and a pair of other Indian bands — could have major implications for those landowners in the area as well as for similar land disputes across the country.

RELATED: Ashes and accountability in the aftermath of Canada's unmarked Indian graves sham

BC Premier David Eby. Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Dwight Newman, a professor of law at the University of Saskatchewan and author behind the Law for Breakfast Substack, told Blaze News that the full implications are "not yet certain."

"The 'Supreme Court' in B.C. is a confusingly named trial-level court, and the decision is being appealed. If appellate courts maintained the same thing, it would directly mean that some City of Richmond land and some federal land in the city would be owned by the Cowichan," said Newman. "Indirectly, though, the decision implied that private property within aboriginal title areas was also vulnerable. That has widespread implications in areas where treaties have not resolved land claims, which differs in different parts of Canada."

While the Cowichan plaintiffs successfully sought a declaration that the land ownership titles held by Canada, the city, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority were invalid, they did not seek the same declaration with respect to privately owned lands.

The Times Colonist reported that the court did, however, indicate that the Crown's granting of private property ownership rights needs to be resolved through negotiation, litigation, or purchase.

Newman told Blaze News that while the plaintiffs in the case have "tried to give the impression" that they would not evict residents from the disputed territory, "if the law from this decision were maintained, it would be possible for them to pursue a claim against private residents too. Private residents might have some different defenses, but we don't know how that plays out."

When asked what could change for non-Indian homeowners on the affected parcel of land, Newman said, "The fact I can't give you an answer with any certainty is maybe the most concerning part. This could all play out in various ways."

"That's an uncomfortable situation for non-indigenous homeowners," continued Newman. "The judge doesn't seem to have fully considered the panic her judgment would cause."

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie noted in a recent letter to homeowners in the area that the decision "could negatively affect the title" of their properties — echoing the judge's statement that "a declaration of Aboriginal title may give rise to some uncertainty for the fee simple title holders and it may have consequences for their interests in land."

Referring to the map contained within the B.C. court's ruling highlighting the Indian band's territorial claim, Brodie wrote, "For those whose property is in the area outlined in black, the Court has declared aboriginal title to your property which may compromise the status and validity of your ownership — this was mandated without any prior notice to the landowners. The entire area outlined in green is claimed on appeal by the Cowichan First Nations."

"I believe it is one of the most consequential rulings in the history of the country," the mayor told CTV News on Sunday, adding that it potentially "undermines the entire land system that we have in this province, and for much of the country itself."

Brodie noted further that the homeowners in the area are "just starting to wake up to what is going on."

Blaze News has reached out to the Cowichan Tribes and to Brodie's office for comment.

John Rustad, leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., asked the province's leftist premier, David Eby, in an Oct. 19 letter to "immediately pause all negotiations between the Province of British Columbia and First Nations until the Supreme Court of Canada has provided clarity."

Rustad emphasized that continuing negotiations, especially in the absence of clarity about the property rights of landowners in the affected area, "risks compounding the harm and further deepening public division."

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'51st state': Trump teases annexation again after Canada quickly caves on major tax



President Donald Trump threatened U.S.-Canada trade talks on Friday over the northern nation's digital services tax, which required foreign and domestic large businesses such as Netflix, Amazon.com's Prime Video, and Spotify to pay a levy of 3% on revenue earned from offering online services to users in Canada.

"We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, including the fact that they have charged our Farmers as much as 400% Tariffs, for years, on Dairy Products, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country," Trump noted in a Truth Social post.

"They are obviously copying the European Union, which has done the same thing, and is currently under discussion with us, also," continued the president. "Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately."

'Canada is a very tough country to deal with.'

Canada — the top buyer of American goods, importing $349.4 billion last year, and 75.9% of whose total exports went to the U.S. — made abundantly clear that it wasn't too attached to the tax, which the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated would increase federal government revenues by over $5.2 billion over five years.

Within hours of Trump's post, the Department of Finance Canada announced that it was rescinding the digital services tax to advance broader trade negotiations with the United States.

Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne noted that "rescinding the DST will allow the negotiations to make vital progress and reinforce our work to create jobs and build prosperity for all Canadians."

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick thanked Canada on Monday for removing the tax, noting that it was "intended to stifle American innovation and would have been a deal breaker for any trade deal with America."

RELATED: Canada's solution to reliance on US? Increasing commitments in Europe

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"In our negotiations on a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States, Canada's new government will always be guided by the overall contribution of any possible agreement to the best interests of Canadian workers and businesses," said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. "Today’s announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month’s G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis."

The Canadian Liberal Party under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first promised the tax ahead of the 2019 federal election, saying it would "make sure that multinational tech giants pay corporate tax on the revenue they generate in Canada," even though critics indicated that Canadian consumers would end up paying the taxes.

The Digital Services Tax Act went into force on June 28, 2024, prompting condemnation stateside as well as an official complaint under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement from former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

John Dickerman, vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based Business Council of Canada, suggested to Canadian state media days after Trump's re-election that the tax was likely doomed.

"The first Trump administration ... was very clear on digital services taxes. They believed that digital services taxes were a very clear indication that a country was specifically targeting the U.S. and targeting U.S. companies. It will be a 'with us and against us' scenario," said Dickerman. "I think there will be very little room for negotiation on DST."

Trump leaned on Canada to axe the tax just in the nick of time. The first payments were due on Monday and retroactive to 2022, meaning a number of American corporations were on the hook for billions of dollars.

The Canadian government indicated that Carney and Trump have agreed to resume negotiations "with a view towards agreeing on a deal by July 21, 2025."

"Canada is a very tough country to deal with, I will say that," Trump told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures." "Hopefully we'll be fine with Canada. I love Canada. Frankly, Canada should be the 51st state."

Blaze News has reached out to the White House for comment.

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World Economic Forum regular Mark Carney's win energizes Canadian secessionists in Alberta



In addition to unlawfully declaring martial law to crush a peaceful protest, Canada's Liberal government has in recent years overseen a historic growth of the federal deficit, numerous tax hikes, an unprecedented influx of immigrants, a spike in illegal immigration, rising crime, unanswered church burnings, a worsening housing crisis, coercive medicine, the rise of state-facilitated suicide as a leading cause of death nationally, and the alienation of the western provinces.

The socioeconomic situation is apparently so dire, a recent government report detailing the nation's "downward social mobility" noted that some residents may soon have to turn to foraging and hunting to meet basic food needs.

Canadians — not so much those in the 18-to-34 age bracket who largely voted Conservative, but those over the age of 55 — decided in the federal election Monday to award the same Liberal government another four years. They may have done so at the risk of ultimately losing one or a couple of provinces.

'Large numbers of Westerners simply will not stand for another four years of Liberal government.'

The success of the Liberals — now under the leadership of Mark Carney, the self-identified "European" World Economic Forum regular who all but guaranteed British economic decline while governor of the Bank of England — has breathed new life into the Alberta secessionist movement.

Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party of Canada and a former leader of the opposition in the House of Commons, noted ahead of the election, "On account of the mismanagement of national affairs for the past decade by the Liberal government, and its consistent failure to address those issues of greatest concern to Western Canadians, large numbers of Westerners simply will not stand for another four years of Liberal government, no matter who leads it."

"The support for Western secession is therefore growing, unabated and even fueled by Liberal promises to reverse many of their previous positions. Such promises of expediency simply don't ring true in the West," continued Manning. "Who, except the most politically naive, would believe Mark Carney's promises to reverse the Liberal positions on everything from east-west pipelines to identity politics and climate change, when standing behind him is a cabinet of 23 MPs who, just a month ago, were advocating for the very opposite and have done so for years?"

The former opposition leader noted further that while the bottom-up support for western secession is currently centered on the oil-rich prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, "it has the potential to spread to most of B.C., Manitoba, and the adjacent territories depending on how it is organized and led."

A day after the federal election, Alberta lawmakers introduced legislation that would make it easier to start a referendum, including one on separating from Canada, reported CityNews.

The bill lowers the threshold for a citizen-led referendum from 20% of eligible voters to 10% and affords campaigners 120 days rather than 90 days to secure signatures.

'Now is the time to end the abusive and toxic relationship with Ottawa.'

"I believe in Alberta sovereignty within a united Canada," said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. "However, there is a citizen referenda process that if citizens want to put a question on a ballot and get enough of their fellow citizens to sign that petition, then those questions will be put forward. Again, I don't want to prejudge what a question might be."

While Smith is apparently not a separatist, Alberta — home to the fourth-largest proven oil reserves in the world — has its fair share who might vote to leave.

When pollsters from the Angus Reid Institute asked Albertans whether they would vote to leave Canada if the Liberals were to form the next government, 30% of respondents said yes. Notably, even more Saskatchewan respondents — 33% — expressed interest in leaving the federation behind.

Cameron Davies, the leader of the Republican Party of Alberta, formerly the Buffalo Party of Alberta, is reportedly planning hundreds of town halls to seize upon this discontent and to promote secession.

"After decades of attempts at reconciliation with the rest of Canada, now is the time to end the abusive and toxic relationship with Ottawa and the east that we find ourselves in today," Davies told CityNews.

Davies, a former organizer for Smith's party who also spent five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, told Ricochet, "I am shocked, actually, by the number of people that I've had conversations with — at town halls, coffee meetings, dinner parties — that have said, 'I've never thought myself a separatist, but I think that might be our only choice left.'"

"In the last couple dozen events that we've conducted — low-key organizing, having interesting meetings with diverse groups across the province — the party's membership has exploded by an additional 8,000 in the last three and a half weeks. And that's without a lot of effort," added Davies.

While the future of Davies' party is uncertain, it's abundantly clear from Monday's election results that there's no love lost for the Carney Liberals in Alberta.

With 172 seats required for a majority, the Liberal Party came out on top with 169 seats and 49.3% of the vote. Conservatives, lead by Pierre Poilievre, lagged behind by nearly 480,000 votes, netting 144 seats and 42% of the total vote.

'Threatening to leave the country because you don’t get your desired electoral outcome is counterproductive and unpatriotic.'

Urban hives and regions heavily reliant on the government for jobs or welfare apparently skewed Liberal. Rural, industrial, and younger areas of the country appear to have picked the Conservatives.

The Conservatives netted 91.9% of the vote in Alberta, the province with the youngest population. The Liberals alternatively brought in a measly 5.4%.

Premier Smith said in a statement Tuesday, "A large majority of Albertans are deeply frustrated that the same government that overtly attacked our provincial economy almost unabated for the past 10 years has been returned to government."

"In the weeks and months ahead, Albertans will have an opportunity to discuss our province's future, assess various options for strengthening and protecting our province against future hostile acts from Ottawa, and to ultimately choose a path forward," added Smith.

Former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney recently blasted those considering the path forward that leads Alberta out of Canada, telling reporters, "Threatening to leave the country because you don’t get your desired electoral outcome is counterproductive and unpatriotic. And I don't think it's something that should be thrown around."

"Nor should central Canadian political elites be dismissive of the very legitimate grievances that people in the West and Alberta have about the attacks on our energy industry," added Kenney.

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Canadian transvestite cancels US music tour because of America's reality-affirming visa policy



Canadian singer Bells Larsen, a woman who pretends to be a man, announced Friday that she canceled all of the American shows on her spring tour, blaming the Trump administration's requirement that visa applicants state their actual sex on their applications.

The female singer, who planned to exclusively play in blue states, indicated that she received an email last week from the American Federation of Musicians "stating that I am no longer able to apply for a Visa because US Immigration now only recognizes identification that corresponds with one's assigned sex at birth."

Contrary to Larsen's suggestion, which was uncritically embraced by leftists online — including the United Musicians and Allied Workers union — the singer is entirely capable of applying for a visa. However, to do so successfully would require her acknowledgment that she is indeed a woman.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order rejecting gender ideology and instructing the government to recognize only two sexes, male and female.

The president directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to "implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder's sex."

'I truly don't know which phrasing holds more truth.'

Rubio gave guidance in February instructing all visa-issuing posts to ensure that the sex listed on an issued visa corresponds to the visa holder's immutable biological classification as either male or female.

The guidance noted that:

generally, the sex listed on the foreign passport should be considered as prima facie evidence of the applicant's sex as defined in the E.O. However, there may be instances when a consular officer becomes aware that the sex listed on the foreign passport may not be the applicant's sex as defined in the E.O. In such cases, the adjudicator should confirm the applicant's sex as defined in the E.O., indicate that sex on the visa, and add a case note documenting any discrepancy between the passport and the visa to prevent issues at the [point of entry].

Canadian passports are unreliable when it comes to evidencing an applicant's sex because Canadian passport holders can request a gender identifier for the opposite sex and even for "another gender" besides male or female.

The request form winks at this unreliability, notifying Canadians that the sex identifier on their travel document "may not be universally accepted for entry or exit by border authorities of another country."

Larsen apparently failed to read the fine print.

"To put it super plainly, because I'm trans (and have an M on my passport), I can't tour in the States," wrote the female singer. "I hesitate to include a 'right now' or an 'anymore' at the end of my previous sentence, because — in this sociopolitical climate — I truly don't know which phrasing holds more truth."

Larsen suggested that her announcement was somehow ironic because her new album is about her adoption of a male persona following elective mastectomies and testosterone therapy, adding, "This new policy has crushed my dreams."

'President Trump promised the American people a revolution of common sense.'

After doing her best to use the manufactured controversy to promote herself, Larsen implored her fellow Canadians to vote in the upcoming federal election in which conservative populist Pierre Poilievre seeks to unseat as prime minister the self-identified "European" World Economic Forum frequenter Mark Carney.

Earlier this month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it was updating its policy manual to clarify that it recognizes only two biological sexes, male and female.

"President Trump promised the American people a revolution of common sense, and that includes making sure that the policy of the U.S. government agrees with simple biological reality," Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Proper management of our immigration system is a matter of national security, not a place to promote and coddle an ideology that permanently harms children and robs real women of their dignity, safety, and well-being."

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Trump cracks jokes as Trudeau's leftist government apparently begins to disintegrate



"Sunny ways, my friends. Sunny ways," Justin Trudeau told his countrymen when elected Canada's prime minister in 2015. "This is what positive politics can do."

It appears that dark days are ahead for the leftist prime minister. After nine years marked by personal scandals, tax hikes, an unprecedented influx of immigrants, a spike in illegal immigration, rising crime, unanswered church burnings, a housing crisis, coercive medicine, and the rise of state-facilitated suicide as a leading cause of death nationally, Trudeau now faces a disapproval rating of 68% and a Canadian dollar trading at a five-year low. Although Trudeau has survived multiple no-confidence votes in recent months with the help of socialist New Democrat Party and Bloc Québécois lawmakers, his Cabinet has begun to disintegrate before his eyes.

Just weeks after Trudeau's foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly effectively auditioned for his job in the pages of the New York Times, Trudeau's deputy and finance minister Chrystia Freeland called it quits.

Freeland, a former journalist who did her best to alienate President-elect Donald Trump during his first term with passive-aggressive commentary, noted in a public letter to Trudeau that his alleged desire for her to migrate to a different role in his Cabinet was the last straw.

'The government of Canada itself is spiraling out of control.'

"To be effective, a Minister must speak on behalf of the Prime Minister and with his full confidence," wrote Freeland. "In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it."

Although Freeland was on board with Trudeau's unlawful decision to use martial law in 2022 to crush the peaceful trucker protests and cosigned his various other controversial decisions, she suggested that in recent weeks they have been "at odds about the best path forward for Canada" and condemned his "costly political gimmicks."

Built into Freeland's letter was an apparent pitch for a new national direction, signaling the outgoing Cabinet minister's possible interest in competing against Joly, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, and other ambitious liberals for Trudeau's position.

Freeland noted further that while she was resigning her Cabinet position, she would keep her seat in Parliament and run again in the next federal election.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre stated at a press conference Monday, "The government of Canada itself is spiraling out of control right before our eyes and at the very worst time."

'I can say we're not united.'

"Justin Trudeau has lost control and yet he clings to power. We cannot accept this kind of chaos, division, weakness, while we are staring down the barrel of a 25% tariff from our biggest trading partner and closest ally, which, by the way, is headed by a newly elected president with a strong and fresh mandate — a man who can spot weakness from a mile away," added Poilievre. "Ms. Freeland has been Mr. Trudeau's most trusted minister now for a decade — for nine years. She knows him better than anyone, and she knows that he's out of control."

Trump, who has done little to conceal his dislike for Freeland over the years, noted on Truth Social, "The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau. Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!"

Shortly after Freeland threw in the towel, Trudeau appointed his safety minister, Dominic LeBlanc, to the role of finance minister.

Hours after Freeland's resignation Monday, the Trudeau Liberal government released its fall economic statement, which proved to be more bad news. Despite Freeland's promise of fiscal responsibility and "guardrails" earlier this year, the Liberal government overshot its deficit target by over $20 billion, ending up with a federal deficit of $61.9 billion for 2023-24.

Following Freeland's shock resignation and the deficit announcement, members of Trudeau's Liberal Party of Canada held a mutinous caucus meeting, with numerous parliamentarians urging the prime minister to step down, reported Canadian state media.

"I can say we're not united," Liberal parliamentarian Chad Collins told reporters after the caucus meeting. "There's still a number of our members who think we need a change in leadership and I'm one of them."

"I think the only path forward for us is to choose a new leader and present a new plan to Canadians with a different vision," added Collins.

Wayne Long, another Liberal parliamentarian, suggested that one-third of the sitting members of Trudeau's party want him to resign, one-third are fence-sitters, and the remainder are loyalists.

Trudeau reportedly noted at a Christmas party Monday for Liberal donors that it had "not been an easy day" but otherwise remained mum on the topic of his abandonment.

Trudeau's day was likely made worse by his party's third federal by-election loss in recent months after Conservative Tamara Janset beat out a Liberal for a federal swing seat in British Columbia by a landslide. Polls indicate that in the event of a snap election, the Liberal Party will similarly be demolished at the ballot box nationwide.

A December 8 Ipsos poll indicated the Conservative Party of Canada would easily defeat Trudeau's Liberal Party. The CPC was leading in the polls with 44%. The NDP and the Liberal Party are both tied for second place with 21% each.

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Secret RCMP report warns conditions created by Trudeau regime has primed Canada for a populist revolt



A secret report prepared internally by Canada's federal police has recently come to light, suggesting that the northern nation may soon have a populist revolt on its hands.

According to Canadian state media, the heavily redacted document, entitled "Whole-of-Government Five-Year Trends for Canada," was prepared in 2022 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's special three-member Strategic Foresight and Methodology Team.

The special team was set up in February — the same month that the Trudeau regime, buttressed by Jagmeet Singh's New Democratic Party, invoked martial law, rounded up peaceful protesters, and altogether crushed the Freedom Convoy demonstrations. A federal court indicated earlier this year that the use of war measures against peaceful protesters was "unjustified" and unlawful.

The stated purpose of the secret RCMP report, obtained by an access-to-information request made by Thompson Rivers University associate professor Matt Malone, was to identify "shifts (signals of change) in the domestic and international environments that could have a significant effect on the Canadian government and the RCMP."

The report suggested at the outset that law enforcement "should expect continuing social and political polarization fueled by misinformation campaigns and an increasing mistrust for all democratic institutions."

After a few pages of the RCMP triad parroting climate alarmists' talking points about worsening weather, the report highlighted trends of actual consequence, namely popular resentment and failing trust in public institutions.

"Economic forecasts for the next five years and beyond are bleak. It is always unclear exactly how economies will perform, but this period of recession will likely have a negative impact on the social and political world as well," said the report.

"The coming period of recession will also accelerate the decline in living standards that the younger generations have already witnessed compared to earlier generations," continued the report. "For example, many Canadians under 35 are unlikely ever to be able to buy a place to live."

The report warned that the "fallout from this decline in living standards will be exacerbated by the fact that the difference between the extremes of wealth is greater now in developed countries than it has been at any time in several generations."

Economist David Rosenberg of Rosenberg Research confirmed this week that Canada is in dire straits. He told the Globe and Mail that:

  • the Trudeau regime's immigration policy is "just too much";
  • "we have economic growth that's a fraction of 1 per cent in an environment in which population growth is roughly 3 per cent";
  • "our standard of living is going down";
  • "government spending is 30 per cent higher than it was pre-COVID-19";
  • "there's been no capital deepening in this country for a decade"; and
  • "we have a country where the balance of power in the House of Commons is held by a socialist party."

Canada also suffers an overwhelmed health care system and a housing crisis, both greatly exacerbated by the Trudeau regime's admission of record numbers of immigrants.

According to Statistics Canada, last year the northern nation saw its highest annual population growth rate since 1957. With a fertility rate nearing 1.3 — the replacement rate is 2.1 — it's clear that such population growth is not driven by Canadians, whose state-facilitated suicides now account for 4% of all deaths nationally. Rather, 97.6% of the population growth in 2023 came from immigrants.

The country's population was roughly 35.7 million when Trudeau took office in 2015. As of Jan. 1, it was 40.7 million, an increase engineered by the Liberal Party and NDP. An estimated 2.6 million nonpermanent residents are presently living in Canada.

The imported demand on real estate has directly contributed to what the Royal Bank of Canada said was the "worst-ever affordability levels in many markets."

Despite declining living standards among an increasingly propertyless population, Ottawa appears keen to kneecap industry at home.

Canada has the third-largest proven oil reserve in the world. While the populous eastern provinces long benefited directly and indirectly from Alberta's oil and gas sector — in part through the country's inter-provincial wealth redistribution scheme — the Trudeau government has spent years trying to hinder production, threatening jobs and opportunity in the process.

Amid the declining living standards, handcuffed industry, an increasingly diluted citizenry, and a brand-new carbon tax increase, Ottawa has also made sure to pay its own handsomely. The National Post recently reported that as of April 1, parliamentarians will award themselves pay raises of anywhere from $8,500 to $17,000 — a move opposed by 80% of Canadians.

The RCMP report attempted to paint those critical of such a situation as extremists.

"Capitalizing on the rise of political polarization and conspiracy theories have been populists willing to tailor their messages to appeal to extremists movements," added the report. "Authoritarian movements have been on the rise in many liberal-democratic nations."

Rod Dreher, contributing editor at the American Conservative, responded to the report, writing, "This is amazing. Secret Canadian govt report predicts unrest in years to come when young Canadians realize how broke they are. Yet it blames such unrest on the spread of 'extremism' — not Canadians reacting reasonably to what the state has done to them!"

Dr. Jordan Peterson tweeted, "We did it! Successful degrowth. We're a little slow on the environmental improvement front, but at least people are miserable and poorer than they think! Sincerely, [Justin Trudeau] and Satan."

Alex Jones suggested this "report applies to all western nations. Welcome to the NW. We must take our civilization back or die."

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, head of the official opposition in parliament, is poised to crush Trudeau in the 2025 election. Canadian state media and other liberal outlets have desperately characterized him as a populist and a Trumpist figure.

A March 22 Nanos Research poll had the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 15 points. When asked who they would prefer as prime minister, Poilievre lead Trudeau by double digits. Earlier this month, Abacus Data indicated the Conservatives had a 17-point lead, noting that roughly twice as many committed voters would cast ballots for the Conservatives than for the Liberals if the election were held today.

It appears as though Canadians told they can never own a home, reap the benefits of their natural resources, protest freely, or enjoy a quality of living known by past generations are ready for a change.

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Canadian conservative leader casually wrecks reporter's line of attack simply by asking what he means



The Conservative Party of Canada is presently crushing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals in the polls. The Liberal Party's celebration last month of a veteran Waffen-SS Nazi in Parliament likely didn't help.

Facing the the prospect of a dramatic sea change, it appears some within the northern nation's left-leaning state-subsidized media are eager to paint ascendant CPC leader Pierre Poilievre as a Trumpist figure. Poilievre has once again demonstrated that reporters are going to have to up their game if they're to land a punch ahead of the 2025 election.

The Conservative leader spoke last week to Don Urquhart of the Times Chronicle in the Town of Oliver, British Columbia, after first meeting with fruit growers from the area. He discussed some of the ways he'd eliminate bureaucratic red tape and statist obstacles to a better life for Canadians, apple farmers included.

"We're no longer going to accept that this or that gatekeeping bureaucracy stands in the way of obvious common-sense solutions," said Poilievre. "And when people come to me, say, 'Yeah, but this or that clerk or bureaucracy is not going to be happy.' That's life, right? There's going to be a lot of vested interests and bureaucracies that are gonna be very unhappy when I'm prime minister."

At one stage in the interview, the reporter attempted to play on a thematic groove routinely deepened by Canadian state media and Toronto's union paper, saying, "In terms of your sort of strategy, currently, you're obviously taking the populist pathway."

Between chomps from his apple, Poilievre asked, "What does that mean?"

Urquhart laughed nervously, then responded, "Well, appealing to people's more emotional levels, I would guess. I mean, certainly ... you tap very strong ideological language quite frequently."

"Like what?" asked Poilievre, apparently keen not to deal in abstractions.

"The left wing, you know, this and that, right wing. ... That type," said Urquhart.

"I haven't really talked about left or right. I don't really believe in that," said Poilievre.

Urquhart remained committed to conveying the essence of his accusation: "Anyways ... a lot of people would say that you're simply taking a page out of the Donald Trump book."

"Right, like which people would say that?" said the conservative.

"Well, I'm sure a great many Canadians, but ..."

"Like who?" Poilievre said again.

"I don't know who. ... I'm sure there's some out there," said Urquhart. "But anyways, the point of this, the point of this question is, I mean, why should Canadians trust you with their vote given not just the sort of ideological inclination in terms of taking the page out of Donald Trump's book —"

"What are you talking about? What page?" asked Poilievre. "Give me the page."

"In terms of turning things quite dramatically in terms of Trudeau and the left wing and all of this, I mean. You make quite a, you know, it's quite a play that you make on it," continued Urquhart.

Poilievre, finished both with his apple and Urquhart's tortured attempt at calling to mind a parallel to former President Donald Trump, responded, "I don't know what your question is."

The reporter managed to find the right words when later writing up the interview: "When asked why Canadians should trust him with their votes given his demonstrable track record of flip-flopping on key issues and what some consider his use of polarizing ideologically-infused rhetoric suggesting he simply takes pages out of the Donald Trump populist playbook, Poilievre became acerbic."

The leader of the CPC ultimately told Urquhart that Canadians should trust him with their votes because of "common sense. ... We're going to make common sense common in this country. We don't have any common sense in the current government."

"I'm going to cut spending, cut waste so that we can balance the budget and bring down inflation and interest rates. If you want to be able to pay your mortgage again, if you want to be able to afford rent, then you have to vote for [Pierre Poilievre], because I'm the only one with a common-sense plan that will bring back the buying power of your paycheck," added the conservative.

— (@)

A September Ipsos poll showed the Conservatives leading the Liberals 39% to 30%, reported Reuters.60% of Canadians polled want Trudeau to step down.

Angus Reid Institute polling put the Conservatives at 39% and the Liberals at 27% — enough for Poilievre's party to form a majority government come the next election.

Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, said, "Pierre Poilievre is doing an amazing job of selling himself to Canadians. ... [L]ike there's Poilievre mania. It's really just a desire for change."

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