New polling is looking bad for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The latest Maru poll, conducted from February 9-10, shows that only 16% of Canadians would vote for the prime minister based on the last two weeks, Edmonton Journal reported Saturday.
Moreover, 44% of respondents said that Trudeau’s latest statements on protesters against vaccine mandates, primarily the Freedom Convoy, have “inflamed” the situation, while 53% said the leader “looked weak in the face of threats to the country.”
“The last time I’ve seen numbers even close to this were in the final days of Brian Mulroney,” slammed John Wright, executive vice-president of Maru Public Opinion. “I think this could cost him his job.”
Wright suggested Trudeau’s numbers are tanking because the “Canadian public sees that our democracy is at threat and the very institutions that are supposed to be doing things about it are largely impotent,” adding, “I don’t think the prime minister gets it.”
But polling shows Canadians are turning hard against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.
“A new Angus Reid Institute poll has found that 54 per cent of Canadians now support an immediate end to all COVID restrictions in favour of treating the disease more like the flu,” the journal reported, noting that “the Trudeau government has resolutely refused to offer anything but minor relaxations to federal strictures.”
Despite Trudeau’s recent dismissal of the Freedom Convoy as “fringe,” protesters demanding freedom from heavy-handed COVID-19 restriction and vaccine mandates have become a major issue for the leader.
On Thursday, Trudeau threatened to do “whatever it takes” to crack down on the freedom protesters blocking passages along the U.S.-Canada border, The Daily Wire reported.
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group on the ongoing illegal blockades taking place across the country that are threatening trade, jobs, the economy, and our communities,” a statement from the PM’s office said. “He was joined by ministers and senior officials who are actively engaged and working closely with provincial and municipal governments, and who are assessing the requirements and deploying all federal resources necessary to help them get the situation under control.”
“The group committed to continue providing federal resources to support enforcement efforts in Ottawa where the occupation has significantly disrupted local residents’ lives, impacting businesses and families with harassment, threats of violence, and vandalism,” Trudeau’s office continued. “They reiterated that the federal government has and will continue to respond to all requests for appropriate support and resources.”
Ontario premier Doug Ford targeted protesters blocking the Ambassador Bridge, too.
“There will be consequences for these actions, and they will be severe,” Ford threatened during the week, accusing protesters of “sieging” Ottawa.
Authorities tried to cracked down on the protesters Saturday morning.
Notably, those protesting in Ontario are facing harsh penalties for remaining on the bridge — including fines up to a whopping $100,000 and a year behind bars.
Related: Freedom Protesters Defy Trudeau, Continue Blockade On Ambassador Bridge
Related: STANDOFF: Authorities Show Up At Bridge Blockade, Freedom Protesters Honk: ‘Remember Your Oath!’
Related: New Freedom Convoy Fundraiser Raises $2 Million In Single Day, With More Than $4 Million Total