The Conservative party initially believed they had decisively defeated the Liberal party in January, only to face a surprising resurgence catalyzed by Donald Trump’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state. Internal polling had suggested the Liberals were on the verge of collapse, prompting Justin Trudeau’s resignation as his unpopularity grew, allowing Mark Carney to emerge as a strong contender. Conservative attacks on both Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh backfired, demonstrating a scorched-earth strategy that ultimately weakened their own position in the political landscape.