Canadians deserve to know who they are dealing with

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/01/2021 (1929 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“I strongly condemn the violence incited by outgoing President Trump in and around the Capitol Building on Wednesday. There is no place for such actions in a peaceful democracy. Conservatives are calling on President Trump and his supporters to respect the will of the American people and allow for a peaceful transition of power.”

— Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen

 

The prepared statement above was given to media after a photo of the deputy Conservative leader wearing a Make America Great Again hat began circulating on social media in the wake of the deadly Capitol riots in Washington last week.

As CTV reported, the undated photos show Bergen wearing a camouflaged MAGA hat — a slogan that has become synonymous with outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump. The now infamous slogan has also become associated with right-wing terrorists and racists, as neo-Nazi groups like the Proud Boys have openly donned the hats and publicly expressed their support for President Trump during his term in office.

But in light of the Washington D.C. riots, Trump’s role in fomenting that insurrection, which ultimately claimed the lives of five people — has prompted U.S. Democrats and even some Republicans to call for Trump’s removal as president in the dying days of his mandate. And in turn, conservatives on both sides of the border are reconsidering their support of the man.

It feels like “too little too late” territory, given that Trump’s actions of late have been entirely in character with the man we’ve seen turn the White House into a joke during the past four years. Then again, the “better late than never” argument could also be made.

At the very least, it’s refreshing to see loyalists finally jump ship, even though they chose to wait until the ship was taking on water.

It’s only natural that Canadian Trump supporters re-evaluate their allegiances to the increasingly tarnished MAGA brand and realign themselves with what is proving the correct side of history.

Say what you will about specific policy decision, generalized support for Trump symbolized by the wearing of MAGA merchandise requires delusion, stupidity or a dangerous combination of the two, and it has ever since Trump stole the slogan from past president Ronald Reagan in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

Beginning with his pre-election, racist-tinged birtherism and continuing to his more recent mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that intensified the virus’s swath of destruction throughout the United States and his ongoing attacks on democracy that include his incitement of a terrorist attack on the Capitol building, Trump’s reprehensible character has been well known for quite some time.

And this isn’t even counting everything that came in between, including continuous pathological lying, decrying “fake news” whenever facts were inconvenient to him and demonizing Muslims, Mexicans, and pretty much anyone who isn’t white, all the while claiming to be the “least racist person.”

Trump pardoned war criminals who massacred unarmed Iraqi civilians and ordered the violent clearing of peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters in order to hold a self-serving photo opportunity.

This is why Bergen wearing a MAGA hat is, in fact, a big deal, and is why it’s important she explain why, exactly, she was wearing it. Was it a mistake? A sign of support? If so, what, exactly, was it about Trump that warranted support at any stage of his thankfully short political career?

She condemned Trump’s incitement of violence last week, but what about everything else he has said and done?

We need answers and accountability, and after several days of avoiding public accountability, we’ve yet to see any.

Even more troubling has been the silence from Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole, who named Bergen deputy leader in September and campaigned under a Trump-esque “Take Back Canada” slogan. It remains unclear who, exactly, we should be taking Canada back from.

Canadians deserve to know what we’re dealing with.