The imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House has unleashed a torrent of analysis and stark realizations. While many were stunned by the MAGA re-emergence and the chaotic implications of Trump’s presidency, the core issues driving this upheaval cannot be ignored. Given Canada’s deep economic, cultural and geopolitical ties with the United States – now rattled by Trump’s antagonistic threats of turning Canada into a 51st state by “economic force” – we must reflect on why the American political landscape has taken such dramatic turns in recent years – and what lessons other democracies, including our own, should learn, and act on, before it’s too late.
Why Trump? Why now?
To say Trump’s victory represents an anomaly is to misunderstand the global state of democracy.
Democratic systems in the West are under siege, eroded not just by external threats but from within by glaring environment-associated crises, abysmal socio-economic disparities and intense political disillusionment. As U.S. philosopher Jason Stanley aptly puts it, democracy erodes when trust in its pillars fails. The United States has reached this critical juncture. Evidence has been piling up in plain sight for those most affected by it – the working class, youth and disenfranchised minorities – while the self-absorbed, self-serving “high-class” elites failed to pay it much attention.
Poverty, economic inequality and unchecked corporate influence have paved the way for populist demagogues. People are desperate for change – any change. And when establishment figures like Kamala Harris fail to ignite hope amid economic or environmental anxiety, voters turn to characters like Trump, believing that a strongman can “fix” a broken nation.
The chasm between social and economic realities in the United States has reached staggering proportions. The CEO-to-worker pay gap has grown dramatically from 21:1 in 1965 to 31:1 in 1978, and to 290:1 by 2023. While CEO pay skyrocketed by 1,085%, worker wages rose just 24%, adjusted for inflation – highlighting glaring inequality.
The illusion of the business saviour
Many Americans perceive their country as a business (now in decline), believing that only a savvy businessman can save it and run it. Unfathomably, Trump, despite a string of bankruptcies, erratic behaviour and 34 felony convictions, fits that bill. His appeal is rooted not in policy but in persona – a paradox where the perceived “outsider” is more entrenched in the elite than most career politicians. People like Trump, and even tech moguls like Elon Musk, present themselves as anti-establishment, despite their wealth and privilege – a form of political gaslighting. Judging by Trump’s cabinet and staff nominations, the United States is at risk of becoming an oligo-technocracy disguised as a democracy, where power cycles between a handful of influential figures who brand themselves as saviours.
Failure of the establishment
Despite endorsements from influential celebrities, Vice President Harris failed to block Trump’s return to power because of public disillusionment. The Democratic Party’s ties to industries marked by scandals only served to deepen voter mistrust – think Hollywood with the Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs scandals, and real news anchors appearing in apocalyptic films, blurring the line between fiction and reality. For decades, guns and violence have been glorified by the entertainment industry, while disenfranchised young people have turned to violence online and in real life. The UnitedHealthcare CEO killing and Trump assassination attempts are recent examples, and that’s not counting the 76 school shootings last year as of November 11, 2024.
What we see is not a government standing up and protecting the most precious of a nation, the children; instead, we see a system of corporatocracy protecting its own. Americans live in a system where corporate actors that influence and shape laws inflict damage to society: the pharmaceutical industry fuelling the opioid crisis, oil and gas driving global warming, the finance sector causing economic turmoil, and the insurance sector deepening the health crisis.
Climate rollback
Climate scientists and activists who have been fighting to combat climate change are surely among the most concerned by Trump’s election. The potential setbacks were apparent during the United Nations’ latest Conference of the Parties on climate change in Azerbaijan in November. The denial of climate science by certain leaders and the weaponization of global-warming skepticism feed into the larger narrative that the “system is rigged,” further fuelling both environmental and democratic crises.
Trump’s energy and climate policies could jeopardize the progress generated by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that financed green development. He has promised to repeal the IRA, halt climate action and roll back climate regulation. It is clear that Trump will not embrace the vision of an eco-centric, nature-based circular economy – a transformative approach essential for a sustainable future. Instead, he appears tethered to the outdated, wasteful linear economy that depletes our planet’s resources and accelerates environmental collapse. However, hope thrives at the state and city levels, where innovative sustainable initiatives will not only survive but have the potential to flourish. It is imperative that we build alliances with these localized efforts, driving meaningful progress from the ground up.
Lessons for other democracies
Canada must watch closely. With Trump’s return to power, Canada has a difficult choice: continue business as usual or adapt to ensure we do not follow the same misguided path. The reality is that although not yet sworn in, Trump is already disturbing Canadian politics.
Perhaps we should heed the calls for ditching the status quo made by Bernie Sanders, who easily won a fourth Senate term, warning that the Democratic Party’s focus on defending the status quo has alienated working-class Americans, including white, Latino and Black workers, who now demand meaningful change.
Incontrovertibly, these are lessons applicable to Canada’s upcoming election. The future of our democracy depends on systemic changes to bridge economic divides and foster trust.
We must strengthen economic equality, tackle the affordability crisis and reinforce social safety nets, through progressive taxation, living-wage legislation and affordable-housing initiatives, while also fostering community resilience through investment in community-led mitigation and adaptation initiatives. We must also strengthen environmental and social resilience through the adoption of a comprehensive strategy for a just transition that ensures job creation, environmental protection and social equity.
While Trump may slow the pace of climate action in the United States, his re-election will not influence Canada’s commitment to climate action, according to Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault. Moreover, Trump will not stop the energy transition given the high economic momentum that already exists for renewable energy, the many state-level initiatives, the new market dynamics and investor interests, and the exponential increase in the costs of extreme weather events.
The path forward
The longevity of democracy relies on upholding the rule of law, transparency and accountability, reinforced by independent oversight and strict campaign finance laws to curb undue influence and foreign interference. Leaders must prioritize informed public discourse, civic education, media literacy and digital democracy tools to empower citizens and foster inclusive governance. By creating spaces for civil debate and multilateral collaboration, we can bridge ideological divides and address the world’s greatest challenges.
Trump’s return should not just alarm but also galvanize democratic nations to act. If Canadians want to maintain their standing as a G7 nation – and avoid similar democratic backsliding – the next four years are pivotal. We must nurture critical thinking and tell new stories that frame civic duty as a hero’s journey. If we fail, the consequences could echo far beyond the 2024 U.S. election.
The Honourable Rosa Galvez is a civil-environmental engineer and an independent senator for the province of Quebec.
