Front Burner

How Trump is forcing the Conservatives to pivot

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have altered Canada’s political landscape. With a looming federal election, can Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative party meet the moment?
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at his Canada First rally in Ottawa, on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at his Canada First rally in Ottawa, on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats on Canadian goods have forced a hard reset on just about every aspect of Canada-U.S. relations.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre responded to that on Saturday at his party's "Canada First" rally, where he hoped to define himself and his campaign given this new political reality. 

Aaron Wherry is a senior writer with the CBC's parliamentary bureau. David Coletto is CEO and founder of Abacus Data.

They joined host Jayme Poisson to talk about how the Conservatives' big event went, and the political challenges facing Poilievre, especially in light of the Liberal party's bump in the polls.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

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