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Trump's 'Toxicity' Drives Stunning Canadian Election Result

Trump's 'Toxicity' Drives Stunning Canadian Election Result

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who rallied his country against the United States President Donald Trump's threats to annex the country and make it the 51st U.S. state, won federal elections early Tuesday.

The Liberal Party is likely to win enough seats in the House of Commons to form a government in Canada and Carney will remain the country's prime minister.

“As I have been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us,” Carney said following his victory. “That will never ever happen.”

Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat Tuesday.Political commentators and journalists took to social media to react to the surprising election results, noting that the Liberal Party was expected to lose the election but managed to secure a victory because it challenged Trump's threats against Canada.

Democratic pollster Matt McDermott wrote on the social platform X, "The impact of an unpopular American president on a foreign election is stunning. We’ve never seen anything like the seismic political shift Trump triggered in Canada to deliver a stunning Liberal win. Trump’s toxicity is rewriting global politics."

Political commentator Brian Cohen wrote, "Congratulations to Canada's Liberal Party and Mark Carney on their big election win, and a special thank you to Donald Trump for turning a runaway victory for the Conservatives into an upset win for the Liberals."

Political organizer Victor Shi said, "Turns out treating Canada like Russia or our enemy is not a good idea, because not only do they remember, but they turn out & vote. What a massive loss for Trump & huge win for democracy on the world stage."

Author Mike Madrid wrote, "Trump cost the Conservatives the election in Canada. He’s mobilizing the world against the United States."

Historian Tim Naftali said: "Donald Trump’s nastiness toward Canada didn’t produce conservative dominance there. J.D. Vance’s nastiness in Europe is producing the same result there. We can debate why nastiness seemed to have worked here in 2024 but it doesn’t travel well."

Journalist Zack Beauchamp said, "The Liberals went from a 20 point deficit in January to a win tonight because Canadians are *furious* at Donald Trump. That's not American provincialism: it's palpable on the ground here in Canada, and what every expert I spoke with told me."

The account @CalltoActivism wrote: "POETIC JUSTICE FOR TRUMP: On the same day Liberal candidate Mark Carney wins in Canada, Trump told a journalist that he runs the country…and the world."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet


Trump Approval Crater Gets Deeper, Even On Immigration

Trump Approval Crater Gets Deeper, Even On Immigration

President Donald Trump's approval ratings appear to be plummeting because his voters are concerned about his approach of governance. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday revealed that only 37 percent of Americans agree with the way the president is handling the economy. This is the lowest rating he has ever received, dating back to the beginning of his first presidential term.

Axios highlighted three polls in a report Thursday, noting, "On the economy, the single most decisive issue of the 2024 election, Trump's polling has never been worse."

Gallup polling released this week also painted a bleak picture for the administration. For the first time since at least 2001, most Americans feel that their economic circumstances are deteriorating.

Another survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that Trump's overall approval rating has decreased to 40 percent, and his economic leadership approval has declined to 45 percent — the lowest levels recorded since tracking started in 2019.

"Trump's approval rating is cratering not because voters reject his goals — but because they're increasingly alarmed by his methods," Axios noted.

The report also highlighted an average of polls by data journalist G. Elliott Morris, which found Trump is not polling great even on immigration, which is considered his best issue.

"Trump is now almost underwater on approval of his handling of immigration, widely regarded as his strongest issue — and 20+ points negative on inflation. In 3 short months, he has completely lost his advantage on both the issues voters elected him to fix," Morris wrote Wednesday on the social platform X.

50 percent of the YouGov survey participants indicated that Trump should bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant from Maryland who was wrongly deported to El Salvador, back to the United States. Only 28 percent believed he should not be allowed to return.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Don Junior, Charlie Kirk And J.D. Vance Rush To Defend 'America First' Hegseth

Don Junior, Charlie Kirk And J.D. Vance Rush To Defend 'America First' Hegseth

As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remains embroiled in a fresh controversy for sharing sensitive information in a group chat as well as his management of the Pentagon, President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement continues to back him.

According to a report published in The Hill on Wednesday, Hegseth is considered "a dyed-in-the-wool Trump backer who is attuned to the president on culture war issues." He is seen as a "government outsider capable of enacting change." This is why MAGA voices have continued to support him despite calls for his resignation.

The Hill report quoted a Trump advisor, who was not named, as saying, “Much like Trump himself, Hegseth is viewed by the base as a genuine outsider and disrupter. Hegseth's time on Fox, where he spent years, is another reason why MAGA feels "a real connection" with him.

The report notes that Hegseth's confirmation process was overshadowed by claims of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking at the outset.

However, as Hegseth's prospects seemed to be in jeopardy, prominent MAGA figures exerted pressure on GOP senators to support him. Influential voices like Vice President JD Vance, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump Jr., and right-wing media ramped up their efforts in the face of criticism from lawmakers such as Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), the report adds.

This week, MAGA once more came to Hegseth’s defense. As he received criticism from a former high-ranking spokesperson and new revelations that he disclosed sensitive military plans in a Signal chat with his wife, brother, and attorney, Trump Jr. defended him.

The president's son rejected an opinion article by John Ullyot, who stepped down last week as a senior Pentagon spokesperson and cautioned about disorder arising from Hegseth’s leadership. Ullyot was “not America First," Trump Jr. said.

In a Fox News interview Tuesday, Hegseth said the administration takes "leakers very seriously," adding that those who are leaking information are doing so to sabotage President Donald Trump's agenda.

"Once a leaker, always a leaker, often a leaker. We look for leakers because we take it very seriously. And we will do the investigation," Hegseth said.

But the secretary did not directly address the latest reports about sensitive information being shared in a Signal chat that included his wife and personal lawyer. There have been calls for Hegseth's resignation following the controversy, and Tuesday's interview did not seem to clear the air.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

DOGE's Mass Deregulation Scheme Will Put Millions Of Lives 'At Risk'

DOGE's Mass Deregulation Scheme Will Put Millions Of Lives 'At Risk'

At over 400 federal agencies, officials appointed by President Donald Trump are reportedly collaborating with tech billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Their goal is to initiate a significant new phase in their effort to reduce the size of the federal government through "deregulation on a mass scale."

According to a New York Timesreport published Tuesday, the president has devised a way to reverse regulations "swiftly and permanently" without going through the lengthy legal process that usually takes place before deregulations.

Following Trump's instructions, agency officials are gathering the regulations they plan to discard. They are working quickly to meet a deadline next week, per the report. Once they finish the job, the White House will create a comprehensive list to direct what the president refers to as the "dismantling of the overbearing and burdensome administrative state."

The agencies being targeted govern "almost every aspect of American life," the report said.

“Many people don’t realize how high the American quality of life is because of the competent and stable enforcement of regulations, and if that goes away a lot of lives are at risk,” Steve Cicala, co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Project on the Economic Analysis of Regulation, told the Times.

“This affects airplane safety, baby formula safety, the safety of meat, vegetables and packaged foods, the water that you drink, how you get to work safely and whether you’re safe in your workplace," he added.

According to interviews conducted by the Times, Trump and his supporters regard the recent actions as the final blow in a comprehensive restructuring of the federal government that started with significant job cuts and attempts to close down certain agencies.

They think that swiftly eliminating various regulations, along with halting the enforcement of others, will dismantle a wide array of rules that others consider essential protections, but that they perceive as burdensome.

AlterNet reached out to DOGE for comment.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Why Lutnick Displaced Musk As 'Most Loathed' Trump Adviser

Why Lutnick Displaced Musk As 'Most Loathed' Trump Adviser

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who passionately defended the administration's controversial tariff policy despite the resulting market chaos, is said to be the "most loathed" member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet.

According to a report by The New Republic, Lutnick has displaced tech billionaire Elon Musk as "the most loathed member of Trump's inner circle" for two reasons.

"The first is that he defeated efforts by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and National Economic Council Chair Kevin Hassett to limit the size and scope of Trump’s tariffs, which, if we’re lucky, will tip the United States economy into a recession. (If we’re unlucky, the tariffs will tip the global economy into a depression.)," the report said.

"The second reason Trump officials hate Lutnick is that nobody thinks he actually believes the hooey he spouts in furtherance of a maximalist tariff policy. In an administration overflowing with sycophants, no nose is burrowed more deeply inside Trump’s gluteus maximus than Lutnick’s," it added.

The report further notes that until last week, no one was more reviled within the Trump White House than "special government employee" Elon Musk. However, after Musk faced a significant setback with his $25 million investment in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which shattered his image of invulnerability, that disdain shifted to Lutnick.

Last moth, Politico quoted a source close to the administration as saying that the commerce secretary “is constantly auditioning for Trump’s approval."

“He’s trying to be a mini-Trump," the individual added.

Politico reported at the time that White House and administration officials were “growing increasingly frustrated with Lutnick." His “abrasive personality” and comments on the media displayed “a lack of understanding of even the basics about how tariffs and the economy work," the officials reportedly thought of Lutnick.

Meanwhile, Lutnick made an appearance on CBS News's Face the Nation on Sunday to advocate for the tariffs.

He said, “We’ve got to start to protect ourselves,” adding, “and we’ve got to stop having all the countries of the world ripping us off. We have a $1.2 trillion trade deficit, and the rest of the world has a surplus with us. They’re earning our money. They’re taking our money, and Donald Trump has seen this, and he’s going to stop it.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.