Trumpism in Canada: Pierre Poilievre's Culture War on "Woke" Sounds Familiar...
On the topics posed in Episode 122 of The Bill Kelly Podcast.
As we march toward election day on April 28th, it’s been encouraging—heartening, even—to see how many Canadians are showing up early to cast their votes. A long weekend over Easter didn’t stop folks from lining up at advanced polls. That tells me people are engaged. And I love that. Democracy only works if we all show up.
Still, as we head into the short strokes of the campaign, the noise is getting louder. I’ve been hearing from a lot of people with questions—some of which we tackled during our recent livestream after the English-language leaders’ debate. But others keep surfacing, and I want to take a moment to unpack a few things here.
Let’s start with a criticism I’ve received from some corners:
“Bill, you're always trying to draw a line between Donald Trump and Pierre Poilievre.”
To that, I say—I'm not so much drawing a line as pointing out the blindingly obvious similarities. And I’m far from the only one doing it.
The Parallels Are Too Loud to Ignore
Look no further than recent headlines from the U.S. Trump, being Trump, is once again in hot water—this time for sending people, many with no criminal records, to prisons in El Salvador. Research shows that 90% of those rounded up in the dead of night had no charges laid against them. The excuse? Gang affiliation. But with no due process, that’s not justice. That’s authoritarianism.
Then there’s his attack on Harvard University—threatening to pull funding unless they fall in line with his anti-“woke” crusade. That’s part of a broader push Trump has made lately to strip universities and businesses of any ideological independence. In his words: "Defund Wokeism."
You might remember Jane Fonda’s brilliant retort from her awards speech:
“Woke is empathy for other human beings.”
We used to take pride in that. Apparently, the far right now sees empathy as weakness.
Copy, Paste, Poilievre
And here’s where the echoes of Trumpism start reverberating loudly north of the 49th parallel.
Pierre Poilievre has taken a page straight out of Trump’s playbook. Just months ago, he called on Canadian colleges and universities to ditch so-called "woke ideologies." He even used the phrase “defund wokeism.”
Let me be clear: that’s not his place. The purpose of education is not indoctrination—it's about thinking, challenging, exploring. When politicians demand schools only teach what aligns with their ideology, we’re not far off from Orwell’s 1984. A world where the state tells you what to think, what to read, what you can and cannot say.
God help us if that’s the direction we’re heading. Because what Trump wants in the U.S., and what Poilievre appears to want here, is control over knowledge. Control over truth.
The Rise of "Timbit Trump"
It’s not just about universities. Poilievre, like Trump, has his own version of “America First.” He calls it “Canada First,” but it’s a transparent ripoff, and a dog whistle just the same. For some historical context, “America First” was the rallying cry of the Ku Klux Klan. It still is. It stands for a warped vision of patriotism where only a select group of people—white, Anglo-Saxon, supposedly God-fearing—belong.
Let’s be honest: this isn’t just ideology. It’s dangerous.
Poilievre even sat down with Jordan Peterson, where they both laughed off the idea that racism exists in Canada—calling it an import from the U.S.
Total crap.
Racism Exists in Canada
I had the privilege of knowing Lincoln Alexander—Canada’s first Black MP and a man of tremendous wisdom and integrity. He wrote a book titled Go to School, You’re a Little Black Boy, echoing the words of his mother, who believed education was the only path to overcoming discrimination.
Lincoln faced racism his entire life. As a boy. As a lawyer. Even as an MP.
So, let’s not pretend racism doesn’t exist here. It does. Comparatively across the globe, Canada is not a racist country (yet)—but it does mean racism lives within it. And if we ignore that, or minimize it, we are complicit in its proliferation.
Plastic Straws and Policy Nonsense
Poilievre’s latest post-debate “major” policy announcement? He’s going to bring back plastic straws.
Seriously?
It’s not just silly—it’s symbolic. A carbon copy of Trump’s anti-environmental agenda. Roll back protections. Attack anything tied to climate science, to human rights, to empathy.
If you thought that was troubling, buckle up. It gets worse.
The Notwithstanding Clause: Canada’s Dangerous Wild Card
During the English debate, Poilievre unveiled his “tough on crime” plan, which has Stephen Harper’s fingerprints all over it. But unlike Harper, Poilievre has vowed to use the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms if the courts strike down his bill.
Let me say that again: He wants to override your rights—intentionally—because he knows the courts will block him.
As Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne put it:
“He doesn't just want to pass the bill—he wants to use it as a gateway to normalize use of the notwithstanding clause.”
That should scare the hell out of every Canadian.
Because once you normalize something like that, it becomes routine. It becomes a tool for power grabs. For silencing dissent. For changing the very nature of Canadian democracy.
We Must Not Ignore the Warning Signs
We’ve made progress in Canada. Hard-won rights for women, for Indigenous peoples, for the LGBTQ+ community. We’re nowhere near perfect, but we have moved forward.
We cannot let ideologues tear it all down.
We’ve prided ourselves on being different. On having compassion. On being a country where government doesn’t dictate what you think, where learning isn’t limited by ideology, and where your rights aren’t optional depending on who’s in power.
That’s the Canada I know. That’s the Canada I want to protect.
So yes, I compare Trump and Poilievre. I do it openly, and I do it deliberately. Because if it walks like a Trump and talks like a Trump—it’s a Trump.
And we can't afford to let Trumpism take root in this country. Not now. Not ever.
Get out and vote.
Stay informed.
And stay in touch.
— Bill Kelly
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FURTHER READING
Go to School, You're a Little Black Boy: The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander: A Memoir By Lincoln Alexander
About 90% of migrants sent to El Salvador lacked U.S. criminal record
In Canadian election, top Conservative candidate vows to end ‘woke ideology’ in science funding: Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party is trying to topple Liberal government in 28 April election
From dog whistles to blaring horns, Poilievre makes his case
https://theconversation.com/from-dog-whistles-to-blaring-horns-poilievre-makes-his-case-246970
In the U.S., defying the courts is a constitutional crisis. In Canada, it’s a simple matter of paperwork
I told my boss when the felon was first elected that democracy was under attack. My boss told me I was overreacting…
Keep up the resistance America! Canada is with you! 🇨🇦🇨🇦
Mr Kelly,
I feel so strongly about the parallels between Poilievre and Trump that I sent your Substack column link (on Trumpism in Canada..) to the GM and Editor in Chief of CBC News. I am sick of CBC’s tactic, more so in the last days leading up to our election, actively discrediting Mark Carney and sowing seeds of doubt about the Liberals while promoting Poilievre. I also cc’d the media dept at PMO’s office. I would be happy to forward to you what I sent but I don’t have your email address. Maybe just point me to where I might find it online if you don’t want to publish it here. Thank you.