The leader of Canada’s Conservative Party has seized on Donald Trump’s remarks about the upcoming Canadian election to distance himself from the United States president amid slumping poll numbers.

Trump said in an interview with Fox News this week that he didn’t care who wins the upcoming federal election in Canada but that he would “rather deal with a Liberal than a Conservative”.

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On Wednesday, Pierre Poilievre said the US president — whose tariffs and annexation threats against Canada have fuelled widespread anger in recent months — had effectively endorsed new Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party.

“Yesterday, the president said that having a Liberal prime minister would be easier for him to deal with, just as he threatened once again to make us the 51st state,” Poilievre told reporters in Sudbury, Ontario.

“On that point, it’s true: I’m a strong leader, a tough guy to deal with. I’m firm in my convictions, and I’ll always put Canada first.”

Poilievre and his Conservative Party have seen what was once a seemingly insurmountable lead in public opinion polls slip away since the start of the year.

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Experts say Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada and impose steep sanctions against the country, coupled with Justin Trudeau‘s exit as Liberal leader and prime minister, are major factors in the Tories’ decline.

Recent polls show the Liberals have surged ahead of the Conservatives in advance of the federal election, which must take place by October 20 but is expected to happen sooner.

Poilievre, a politician known for his incendiary rhetoric and vilification of Trudeau, has struggled to find solid messaging in the face of Trump.

Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University, told Al Jazeera last month that Poilievre faces a challenge: He doesn’t want to alienate the part of his base that likes Trump but also needs to appeal to Canadians who want a leader who will stand up to US threats.

Meanwhile, Poilievre’s combative political style has drawn comparisons to Trump, raising questions about how he would handle the US president if the Conservatives win the next election and he becomes prime minister.

Poilievre, who took over as party leader in 2022, has regularly described Canada as a “broken” country under Trudeau. He has also attacked reporters as biased, and critics say he often echoes far-right talking points on immigration and other issues.

Amid Trump’s recent threats, Poilievre has used the slogan “Canada First” — similar to the US president’s own “America First” policy.

An Angus Reid Institute poll released on Monday showed 55 percent of Canadians believed Carney was best suited to handle a US-Canada trade war, compared with 30 percent who preferred Poilievre.

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“More bluntly, 41 percent now view Carney as best suited to be prime minister compared to 29 percent for Poilievre,” the polling research firm said.

Faced with that public sentiment, Poilievre continues to try to position himself as the best choice to handle the Trump administration.

“Giving the Liberals a fourth term will only weaken our country and strengthen Donald Trump,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“We need a strong, tough leader who will unleash our resources, cut taxes and red tape, build homes and make our economy less reliant on the Americans to put Canada first.”

Trump also appeared to disassociate himself from Poilievre during his Fox News interview. “The conservative that’s running is stupidly no friend of mine,” Trump said.

“I don’t know him, but he said negative things. When he says negative things, I couldn’t care less. I think it’s easier to deal actually with a Liberal, and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care.”