Charlie Angus on Canada Holding the Line Against Trump

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: "Charlie Angus on Canada Holding the Line Against Trump"

Release Date: April 19, 2025

In this compelling episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas engage in an in-depth conversation with Charlie Angus, a revered resistance member and former Member of Parliament. The discussion centers around Canada's staunch resistance against the influence and policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump, especially in the context of the impending Canadian federal election.

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1. Canada’s Determined Stand Against Trump’s Influence

Charlie Angus opens the discussion by highlighting Canada's unified front in resisting Trump's regime. With the Canadian federal election looming in just ten days, recent debates have underscored the nation's resolve to safeguard its democracy and economy from external threats.

Charlie Angus [00:32]: "Canada is furious. And Canada is having its voice heard... Canadians are letting the world know that they are the front lines of resistance to the Trump regime."

Angus emphasizes that Canadian citizens are actively boycotting American products and tourism, signaling a broader rejection of Trump's policies and influence. This grassroots movement reflects a deep-seated desire to protect Canadian sovereignty and economic stability.

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2. Prime Minister Carney’s Bold Stance Against Trump

The podcast delves into the recent debate where Prime Minister Carney, leader of the Liberal Party, explicitly identified Donald Trump as the primary threat to Canada's economy and global standing.

Prime Minister Carney [01:58]: "The biggest risk we have to affordability, the biggest risk we have to this economy is Donald Trump. So first and foremost, we've got to get that right."

Charlie Angus [02:09]: "To think about as an American in a Canadian debate, that that would be the biggest threat. That's where we are right now under the Trump regime."

Carney's declarations go beyond mere criticism, portraying Trump as an existential threat aiming to undermine Canada's economic foundations and autonomy. His rhetoric sets the tone for the Liberal Party's campaign, positioning Canada as a bastion of democracy against external authoritarian influences.

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3. The Conservative Party's "Maple MAGA" Playbook

Shifting focus, the conversation examines the Conservative Party's leader, Pierre Poliev, and his adherence to what Angus and the hosts describe as the "Maple MAGA" strategy—mirroring Trump's controversial tactics.

Charlie Angus [03:08]: "Pierre Poliev... is courting the same vote that Trump did. This is straight out of the Trump playbook."

Poliev's recent campaign efforts in Montreal, including his controversial stance on plastic packaging, draw direct parallels to Trump's defeatist and divisive strategies. By invoking trivial issues like bread freshness and plastic bags, Poliev attempts to distract and rally his base, echoing Trump's approach to governance and public discourse.

Pierre Poliev [03:49]: "How long does this bread stay fresh and edible if it's not packaged?..."

Charlie Angus [04:44]: "This is something the conservatives are running on. So I'm expecting a huge turnout."

Angus criticizes Poliev for failing to moderate his rhetoric, thereby alienating moderate voters and reinforcing extremism within the party. This strategy, he argues, is unsustainable and detrimental to Canada's democratic values.

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4. The Economic and Social Impact of Trump’s Policies on Canada

The hosts and Angus delve into the tangible effects of Trump's tariffs and aggressive trade policies on Canadian businesses and the broader economy.

Ben [06:12]: "Trump has been allowed to monkey wrench the global economy without anybody stepping in... pushing us towards a major, definitely an American recession, probably a global recession and maybe a depression if he doesn't step back."

The imposition of tariffs on Canadian goods has led to significant disruptions in key industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. Angus points out that the uncertainty and instability caused by these policies have galvanized Canadians to take collective action to protect their economic interests.

Charlie Angus [08:22]: "Pierre Poliev is bringing forward to the Canadian people, along with his idiocy about bread and plastic bags... Canadians understand if you elect this guy, you are electing the fascist regime that is the same of MAGA."

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5. Ben’s Insight on the Future of Canadian Economy and Democracy

Ben expands on the potential long-term consequences of continued interference from Trump's administration and the internal challenges posed by the Conservative Party's strategies.

Ben [08:50]: "When you have a Prime Minister... saying he's going to overrule the courts arbitrarily when he feels it he wants to, you are then in the same situation of people being illegally deported to El Salvador."

He warns of the dangers of authoritarianism creeping into Canadian governance, drawing parallels to Trump's tactics of undermining democratic institutions. Ben underscores the importance of maintaining robust checks and balances to preserve Canada's democratic integrity.

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6. A Defiant Message to Donald Trump

As the episode draws to a close, Ben delivers a powerful and direct message to Donald Trump, reflecting Canada's unyielding stance.

Ben [11:37]: "Donald Trump, I'm gonna say this once and I might never say it again. I want to thank you for bringing Canada together... we will defend the rule of law, and if you want to continue fighting with us, we will. You are going to lose at the end of the day."

This declaration reinforces Canada's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the rule of law, positioning the nation as a resilient and unified front against external threats.

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7. Conclusion and Future Outlook

Charlie Angus concludes the discussion by reflecting on the nationwide support for the resistance movement and the expected voter turnout in the upcoming election. The Meiselas brothers express their admiration for Angus's efforts and encourage listeners to stay engaged with the resistance initiatives.

Charlie Angus [12:59]: "Elbows up, elbows up. Everybody hit."

The episode underscores the critical juncture at which Canada finds itself, balancing the preservation of democratic values against external and internal pressures. The MeidasTouch Podcast effectively captures the urgency and determination of Canadian leaders and citizens in safeguarding their nation's future.

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Key Takeaways:

• Unified Resistance: Canada is actively resisting Trump's influence through economic boycotts and political mobilization.

• Political Rhetoric: Prime Minister Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poliev represent opposing visions for Canada’s future, with Carney advocating for protection against external threats and Poliev adopting divisive tactics reminiscent of Trump’s playbook.

• Economic Stability: Ongoing tariffs and trade disruptions pose significant risks to Canada’s economy, with potential repercussions extending globally.

• Democratic Integrity: The episode highlights the importance of maintaining robust democratic institutions to prevent authoritarianism.

• Global Implications: Canada's stance serves as a model for other nations facing similar external threats to their sovereignty and democratic institutions.

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast offers listeners a thorough exploration of Canada's political landscape amidst external pressures, providing insightful analysis and a steadfast message of resilience and democratic commitment.

Transcript

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[Ben]

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[Charlie Angus]

Canada is furious. And Canada is having its voice heard. We're under 10 days from the big election in Canada. We had the big debate take place this past week. The first one in French, then a debate in English. And Canadians are letting the world know that they are the front lines of resistance to the Trump regime. And now it's just, it's kind of funny that like the media in America's first kind of picking it up right now. I saw this on cnbc. Canadian small businesses are taking Trump tariffs personally. You think? We're also seeing the tourism numbers not just in Canada, which have plummeted to almost like zero at this point with the boycott of all things American. Boycott American products, boycott tourism. But Canada has set the example for the rest of the world. Those international tourism numbers have dropped as Donald Trump attacks our allies now, I guess former allies based on how Trump's treated them. And also, people don't want to end up in detention centers or concentration camps in El Salvador. Let's take a look at what went down in the debate between the leaders of the various parties in this election. You have Prime Minister Carney leading the Liberal Party. And Prime Minister Carney says the biggest risk to the Canada and the Canadian economy is Trump. Here, play this clip.

[Prime Minister Carney]

The biggest risk we have to affordability, the biggest risk we have to this economy is Donald Trump. So first and foremost, we've got to get that right.

[Charlie Angus]

Second, you know, to think about as an American in a Canadian debate, that that would be the biggest threat. That's where we are right now under the Trump regime. Here's what Carney said as well. Let's play the other clip.

[Prime Minister Carney]

We are facing the biggest crisis of our lifetimes. Donald Trump is trying to fundamentally change the world economy, the trading system, but really what he's trying to do to Canada, he's trying to break us so the US can own us. They want our land, they want our resources, they want our water, they want our country. We're all going to stand up against Donald Trump. I'm ready. I've managed crises over the years. I've built strong economies. We will fight back with counterterroriffs. We will protect our workers, those businesses, and we will build the strongest economy. We will build Canada strong. I'm asking for your support, the honor of doing so. Thank you.

[Charlie Angus]

So how do you think Maple MAGA is responding? Pierre Poliev, who leads the Conservative Party in these federal elections. He was in Montreal on Friday. As Rachel Gilmore says, seems like Poiev is courting the f the turtles vote in Montreal today. This is what Maple MAGA is talking about, by the way. This is straight out of the Trump playbook, right? Remember when Trump was holding up like the groceries and Trump was like saying, you know, oh, we, you know, they're going to go after the plastic straws. They're going after the pla. We're plastic, we're pro plastic straw and made that like a centerpiece. Look at Poliev, the, the right wing maga maple guy from the Conservative Party. Play it.

[Pierre Poliev]

How long does this bread stay fresh and edible if it's not packaged? You ever think of taking your bread out when you go home and just leaving it unwrapped? How many days do you think it would be good before it gets dried out and moldy? How long would the other fresh produce here stay edible if it could not be plastic wrapped? The answer is a lot less time.

[Charlie Angus]

It's like an exact image of how Trump ran the campaign. Let's bring in resistance member Charlie Angus, former member of Parliament. You all know Charlie Angus. Charlie, before getting into the election, you and I haven't had a discussion on the Midas Touch Network in about two weeks. You've been busy with the Resistance Elbows up tour and you've been going area to area. So tell us, though, what's going on in Canada? What's the sentiment?

[Ben]

Well, Ben, I've been traveling across the country and you are right in terms of people's determination to resist. Whether it's working class Northern Ontario, whether it's chill Vancouver island, whether it's in the heart of Alberta, which is supposed to be mega Maple Central. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people coming out, people ready to defend their country, people ready to stand up to Trump, but also people who are really understanding that this is about the future of the rule of law and the future of democracy. And so there's a real determination right now. People are employing the boycott full out. They're watching what's happening with people being snatched off the streets in the United States, the attacks on universities. And it's very concerning. And then it's what the kind of language we're actually seeing now from the MAGA Maple crowd of Pierre Poliev are repeating so many of the dog whistles that drove the Trump campaign and what we're seeing right now being played out in Project 2025. This is something the conservatives are running on. So I'm expecting a huge turnout. We've got the advanced polls are happening right now. So the week before the election, people can vote. On the weekend before, the lineups are around the block. That's usually a sign that a government's being turfed out or the Canadians are not going to let MAGA Maple get control here because of what we've seen in the United States.

[Charlie Angus]

What do you make of Trump's recent behavior? Now, you and I have been talking about this for several months. The first time Trump announced the tariffs many, many months ago and then withdrew it and then paused it and continued his rhetoric about 51st state annexation. In just this past week, Donald Trump's chief propagandist, Caroline Levitt, again used annexation conquest language about Canada. Then Trump tariffed the world and then he paused some. But then he kept the 25% on which he's saying is a fentanyl tariff and this and that. And I'm not even sure they can keep track of what they're even doing. But what do you make of the recent behavior?

[Ben]

I think what's really concerning is that an idiot like Trump has been allowed to monkey wrench the global economy without anybody stepping in and saying, whoa, Donald, what the heck are you doing? When we see him tariffing poor Madagascar because Madagascar doesn't buy enough product from the United States. Madagascar is too poor to buy product from the United States, but they offer Americans cheap chocolates. Donald Trump picks a fight with them. The on again off again tariffs in terms of auto, nobody even knows where that stands. Right now. South Dakota is freaking out, North Dakota, the farmers in Montana because you have an integrated border in terms of ag trade, $70 billion. All that's in chaos right now. I think he's pushing us towards a major, definitely an American recession, probably a global recession and maybe a depression if he doesn't step back. But it's up and down. And the thing that really strikes me about Trump and his crew is they're really, really tough until you stand up to them and then they blink. And that's certainly what's happened with Canada. And Canada has Been very strong. And then they come back at it a second and a third time. The feeling I'm getting from Canadians is they don't care what Trump does next. We're going to do what we're going to do. We're looking to rebuild our economy and we're going to do it without our former ally, our former friend, our former partner. We're going to have to take steps that we're going to take because we simply cannot trust the American regime anymore.

[Charlie Angus]

And look, the Maple MAGA crew led by Pierre Poliev. I mean, I showed the language there about, you know, plastic straws, plastic bags, but, you know, which by the way, is just insane. But then you, you move towards some of the other things that they've been talking about. Planning to suspend the rule of law, the same types of ideas of disappearing students and, you know, and promoting a Doge version in the north, basically, huh.

[Ben]

What's really surprising, I mean, the usual rule of thumb for conservative candidates and campaigns in Canada is as the campaign moves on, you move more to the center, you quieten down your crazy base and you try and appeal to the independent, non aligned voter. But pure Pierre Poliev isn't doing that because that's not MAGA and that's not what the fascist playbook is. The fascist playbook is to say boldly what you're going to do. So we see after the horrific disappearances and deportations of Americans to El Salvador, Pierre Paglia bragging that he's going to invoke what we have in the charter, rights and freedoms. And notwithstanding clause that in certain circumstances allows government to overrule the rule of law. It was supposed to be an emergency measure in case legal decision overstep bounds in terms of democratic rights. He's saying he's going to invoke this to take away the rights of his so called criminal class. But when you have a Prime minister, a guy running to be prime minister, saying he's going to overrule the courts arbitrarily when he feels it's he wants to, you are then in the same situation of people being illegally deported to El Salvador. He's now saying, after we've seen these students kidnapped, kidnapped and carried thousands of miles away from home to be deported for protesting, Pierre Polyev saying he's going to invoke the same thing. And of course they use the same language. It's about free speech. Free speech means subservience to Trump, subservience to maga. Maple and everyone else are going to be challenged. And then the really disturbing element is what we've seen with the disaster of Doge. Well, a former chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Conservative godfather, was bragging that Pierre Poliev, if elected, would go quickly after Canada's independent civil service and that it would be much easier to implement Doge. Here. We don't have the checks and balances, apparently, that the United States has, so it would be even easier. And I think what the listeners or the viewers are understanding is that once you crush the independent civil service, you. You crush a functioning democracy. This is so this is what Pierre Polly is bringing forward to the Canadian people, along with his idiocy about bread and plastic bags. I think Canadians understand if you elect this guy, you are electing the fascist regime that is the same of maga and you are going to turn Canada over to the Trump agenda.

[Charlie Angus]

We know the Trump regime watches these podcasts. They watch our interviews and they're not too pleased when. When we you on. What's your message right now to Donald Trump if he's watching this?

[Ben]

Well, Donald Trump, I'm gonna say this once and I might never say it again. I want to thank you. I want to thank you for bringing Canada together. It took such a malignant, narcissistic slug like you to make us put aside all of our differences, all our regional fights, all of our concerns with each other and realized that we actually had to stand up for something better, which is standing up for the rule of law, standing up for democracy, standing up for decency. And we know that we're on your border and it freaks you out because you and your incel gang are so freaked out about diversity, equity, inclusion, your DEI nightmare. Well, we are your DEI nightmare, Donald, because Canada is always going to be a country of diversity. We will always be a country of equity. We will always be a country of inclusion, and we will defend the rule of law. And if you want to continue fighting with us, we will. You are going to lose at the end of the day. I'm not saying it's not going to hurt us, but we are true. We are north, we are strong, we are free, and we are ready for this fight, Donald. So make up your mind. Quit your fighting on social media with us. Tell us what you're going to do, because we're moving on and we're going to stand and hold the line.

[Charlie Angus]

Resistance member Charlie Angus. Charlie, we've loved following your Resistance Elbows up tour. We've been featuring it here on the network. So we look forward to seeing some more.

[Ben]

You will see it very soon.

[Charlie Angus]

Elbows up, elbows up. Everybody hit. Subscribe let's get to 5 million subscribers. Can't get enough Midas? Check out the Midas plus substack for ad. Free articles, reports, podcasts, daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski and more. Sign up for free [e-mail].