Kellie Leitch, who is in the running to become the next leader of the Conservative Party, faced backlash after praising Trump’s win in an email to her supporters.
“Tonight, our American cousins threw out the elites and elected Donald Trump as their next president,” she stated in the email. “It’s an exciting message and one that we need delivered in Canada as well. It’s the message I’m bringing with my campaign to be the next Prime Minister of Canada. It’s why I’m the only candidate who will ensure that every visitor, immigrant, and refugee will be screened for Canadian values.”
Leitch’s support of Donald Trump has not only alienated many of her supporters, but has also lost the endorsements of many high-profile Tories, which could lower her chances of leading the Conservative party in the near future.
Leitch’s support for the religious and ethnic division advocated by Trump is not an isolated incident. As a cabinet minister to Stephen Harper’s government, she introduced the “barbaric practices tip line” and was the face of the campaign. The tip line was widely recognized as a tactic to provoke anti-Muslim sentiment.
As a candidate for the Conservative party leadership, she has adopted similar policies into her campaign. For instance, she proposes face to face meetings with all immigrants to ensure they support “Canadian values”.
Despite Kellie Leitch’s insistence that she speaks for the “average Canadian”, her admiration for Donald Trump’s message is not well supported by the majority of Canadians. In fact, only 14% of Canadians supported Donald Trump. Leitch’s anti-immigrant sentiment should come as a major concern seeing as she may lead the Conservative party—and maybe even the country—in the future. The message of her campaign should raise questions on whether or not she is fit to lead the Tories and a country that prides itself on diversity and multiculturalism.
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