Mike Carney, a political outsider and former central banker, was elected leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and successor to incumbent Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Winning an estimated 86 percent of his party’s vote on Sunday, Newsmax reported, Carney will replace outgoing Prime Minister Trudeau sometime within the coming days.
Carney’s ascension comes amid his criticisms of President Donald Trump, whom he has recently chastised for his tariffs against Canada.
“Canada will not bow down to a bully,” said Carney, Fox News reported. “We won’t stand by as illegal U.S. tariffs hurt our workers and their families. As Canadians, we need to face this challenge as one united team.”
He also compared President Trump to the character Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter in reaction to the president’s calls to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, according to CBC News.
He argued, “When you think about what’s at stake in these ridiculous, insulting comments of the president, of what we could be, I view this as the sort of Voldemort of comments… Like I will not even repeat it, but you know what I’m talking about.”
Carney will take power following the early resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose approval ratings dropped drastically throughout the past few months due to his mishandling of inflation, the cost of living, and progressive liberal policies, RSBN previously reported.
Now, Carney will later face off against Canada’s conservative party in what is expected to be a very close election later this year. According to a poll from the Angus Reid Institute, Carney’s Liberal Party is currently just three points behind the Conservative Party by three points (37 percent to 40 percent).
