There’s a saying in ancient Latin: Post-woke, ergo effectively cracked, whose English language is once you go woke, you go broke. One children. There’s no such saying in Latin. It’s just an repetition of the common natural mistake: Post hoc, ergo subordinate hoc, which means drawing causation based on timeline. Jokes apart, “once you get woke, you go cracked” is a self-serving assumption across various aspects of life. We’ve seen it happen to media organisations ( Vice, Huffington Post ) and brands ( Jaguar, Bud Light ). But in politicians, the popular notion is only partly true. Because once individuals go broke, as Jim Carville, Bill Clinton’s mentor, so vividly said:” It’s the business, stupid”. All elections, all ideologies—everything crumbles when a woman’s relationship with Mammon worsens.
Unfortunately, the American market’s misfires, combined with Trump disturbing tariffs and yet conquest, appeared to eventually break the camel’s back as Justin Trudeau‘s back-to-the-wall defiance collapsed, yet as governor jibes emanated from Mar-a-Lago.
It’s difficult to explain to visitors what Justin Trudeau’s victory meant for the deracinated liberal world attempt at a time when Obama was preparing to leave the White House and a feisty past talk show host was gradually annihilating the Republican Party in America.
With hindsight, it’s hard to live on Justin Trudeau’s greatest visits —it’s like being asked to select your favorite Beatles music.
Here are some of this writer’s specials:
- Correcting a person who said “mankind” instead of “peoplekind”?
- Despite being incorrectly explaining classical computing, reporters also adore them.
- In the Commons, a real Nazi is honored.
- Stuttering while trying to speak LGBTQIA2S+.
- Roaming around India like a Bollywood more, hoping to get a call from Dharma Productions?
How do you actually choose one? It’s like deciding between Hey Jude and Let It Be. But we digress—because at his time of anguish, Trudeau doesn’t even have Vidya Balan posting:” Justin Trudeau, what a Singer. To get a wait &, catch your breath requires fortitude … More power to you … Respect! “!
Here’s the incredible rise and fall of Justin Trudeau, explained in eight shows:
Episode 1: A Novel Liberal Hope
In 2015, Trudeau was the glittering hero of democratic elections. With Stephen Harper’s Conservatives mired in weakness, Trudeau’s vibrant energy, personality, and excellent lineage—his father Pierre Trudeau being Canada’s social giant—swept him into office. He promised” beautiful techniques” and became the darling of liberals abroad. His now-iconic saying,” Because it’s 2015″, delivered when unveiling a gender-balanced case, went viral, cementing his picture as a present, forward-thinking head. With amazing rapidity, liberal Western media outlets elevated a progressive politician to the placement of Saint Obama, using the golden brush that was used by them.
Trudeau wasn’t really a lawmaker, he was a sensation. He was hailed as a “dreamboat,” and his smooth charm was hailed as the ideal counterpoint to Trump’s belligerence. While Trump built rooms, Trudeau tweeted,” Variety is our strength”, and greeted Syrian migrants with open arms. The comparison couldn’t have been sharper: where Trump was contentious, Trudeau appeared diverse, where Trump was coarse, Trudeau seemed polished. However, beneath the polished veneer, holes were forming.
Episode 2: The Empire Strikes Again
Trudeau’s change from the beautiful boy of liberalism to a polarising number didn’t occur overnight—it was a slow-motion train disaster. The first true break in the beautiful veneer was the blackface scandal from 2019. A gut punch came from seeing images of a self-declared champion of diversity dressed in racist outfits for Indians who had embraced his” beautiful ways” tale. Trudeau apologised heavily, but for many, the damage was done. It smelt of dishonesty from a chief who had based his brand on diversity and social standards, not just a fresh lapse in judgment.
Next came the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, a historical battlefield in Trudeau’s career. What started out as opposition to vaccine mandates grew into a national protest against government intrusion. Trudeau’s response—dismissing the demonstrators as a “fringe plurality” and invoking the Emergencies Act—was a strong bargain. Some praised his resolve, but others viewed it as an intrusion of an autocratic covering behind a rainbow flag. Pictures of police beating down protesters turned into gathering shouts for both domestic and international critics.
However, the economical cracks were difficult to papers over. Prices soared, cover pricing became a pipe dream, and immigration strained system. For Canadians, the feel-good phrases that swept Trudeau into company now felt like clear phrases. His ambitious goals—welcoming migrants, committing to climate change, and reconciling with Aboriginal communities—clashed with the financial challenges of a nation struggling to keep up. The former president of hope, Trudeau, now appears to be a head out of touch with the everyday struggles of his people.
Hubris, no hatred, was Trudeau’s downfall. He hoped his failures would be overshadowed by his personality. Beauty wasn’t paying the bills, though, for Canadians who watched their housing costs soar while infrastructure crumbled. Voters in the Trudeau time were left with the question “is it time to move on?” a question they never thought they would ask.
Act 3: The Hypocrisy Awakens
Trudeau’s female qualifications were tarnished in 2019 during the SNC-Lavalin event. His alleged involvement in the criminal case against a Quebec-based executive giant was the subject of the scandal, which exposed a striking disconnect between his female language and his behavior. Jody Wilson-Raybould, Canada’s first Indigenous lawyer standard, refused to engage in the case despite admitted force from Trudeau’s business. Her withdrawal and punishment in a cabinet shuffle sparked outcry. Attended by Jane Philpott, another high-profile government secretary, the defections painted a scathing picture: Trudeau’s authority was anything but empowering for people.
Detractors seized on the case as proof that there were widespread obstacles to women holding positions of authority. Wilson-Raybould’s claims of prolonged stress reinforced the tale of Trudeau’s hypocrisy. For a president who had built his picture on inclusion and admiration, the magnification were devastating. His unwillingness to offer a complete explanation, dismissing the subject as a “breakdown in communication”, only deepened the sense of betrayal among citizens.
The affair’s consequences extended beyond Wilson-Raybould. For some Canadians, it symbolised Trudeau’s willingness to sacrifice rules for political expediency. The defections of two strong, competent women—both celebrated as symbols of richness in Trudeau’s government—felt like a deception of the beliefs he claimed to defend. Trudeau’s feminist image, once a cornerstone of his political brand, became a punchline.
In the years that followed, the cracks in his feminist rhetoric widened. His failure to address systemic inequalities ruined his gender-balanced cabinet and pro-growth slogans. For Trudeau, the SNC-Lavalin affair wasn’t just a scandal—it was a moment when his carefully crafted image began to unravel.
Act 4: The India Menace
Trudeau’s diplomatic missteps with India were the stuff of international spectacle. It all began with his 2018 state visit, a masterclass in how not to do diplomacy. Trudeau and his family, decked out in Bollywood-style outfits, looked more like hopeful Dharma Productions extras than world leaders. The over-the-top wardrobe, combined with choreographed photo ops, overshadowed any substantive discussion. Worse, the inclusion of a Khalistani sympathiser in his entourage sparked outrage in India, where tensions over Sikh separatism continue to be a contentious issue. What might have been a chance to build ties with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world turned into a disaster in public relations.
The fiasco didn’t end there. By 2023, Trudeau accused New Delhi, without substantiative proof, of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent pro-Khalistan activist. Nijjar’s killing outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia triggered a full-blown diplomatic meltdown. Trudeau’s allegations led to tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, the suspension of visa services, and the collapse of high-level talks. India, in turn, accused Canada of harbouring extremists under the guise of free speech. The fact that US media exclusively cited Trudeau officials as the source of scandals against Indian officials didn’t help matters.
Historical wounds like the 1985 Air India bombing loomed large over the fallout, further complicating relations. Canada’s perceived failure to bring the bombing’s perpetrators to justice left lingering doubts in India about Trudeau’s commitment to curbing extremism. Meanwhile, Trudeau’s efforts to balance domestic Sikh voters ‘ concerns with India’s sovereignty demands left him alienating both sides. For the first time in history have counterparts attacked the leader of a Western world so vehemently. More so, Trudeau became the butt of memes on social media, with his “rule of law” tweet becoming a meme format.
Act 5: Attack of the Economy
Trudeau’s economic record turned out to be his Achilles ‘ heel, leading to policies that appeared ambitious in theory but lacked practical success. The carbon tax, hailed as a cornerstone of his climate agenda, alienated resource-dependent provinces like Alberta. Coupled with Bill C-69—the so-called” No More Pipelines” bill—it deepened western alienation and led to job losses in Canada’s energy sector. Meanwhile, his government’s$ 4.5 billion purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion enraged both environmentalists and fiscal conservatives as costs ballooned past$ 30 billion.
The housing crisis spiralled further out of control during Trudeau’s tenure. First-Time Home Buyer Incentive initiatives like the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive hardly made a difference as prices soared despite soaring demand and speculative practices. Rising interest rates put more fuel in the tank, leaving millions of Canadians stranded from the housing market. One particular exchange with a construction worker went viral.
Pandemic relief programmes like CERB and CEWS, though critical during COVID-19, were riddled with inefficiencies. Despite receiving subsidies, billions of dollars were given to businesses that didn’t need assistance or fired employees. Critics claimed that unchecked spending caused runaway inflation, which increased the cost of living.
Even Trudeau’s attempts at wealth redistribution floundered. The wealthy’s tax on luxury and higher taxes on the wealthy generated less revenue while failing to address the struggles of the middle class. Meanwhile, changes to small business tax rules in 2017 sparked outrage from entrepreneurs, forcing Trudeau to backtrack.
Act 6: The Revenge of Reality
Donald Trump
The gulf between rhetoric and reality serves as the best description of Justin Trudeau’s tenure. A self-styled champion of progressive ideals, Trudeau’s actions often failed to align with his lofty promises.
His government signed the Paris Agreement and introduced carbon pricing in relation to climate change, but approval of projects like the Trans Mountain Pipeline hampered his green credentials. Similar to the Coastal GasLink pipeline controversy, his commitment to Indigenous reconciliation sprang up as a result of slow progress on issues like boil water advisories and disputes over sovereignty.
While Trudeau hailed for tackling inequality with measures like the luxury tax, systemic issues remained largely unresolved. Housing affordability worsened, and wealth disparities persisted, leaving middle-class Canadians disillusioned. Trudeau’s reputation for principled leadership was hampered by declining peacekeeping funds and sales of weapons to nations with disputed human rights records on a global scale. He was portrayed as a leader who was more interested in appearances than substance, thanks to ethical scandals like the WE Charity controversy. Trudeau’s progressive rhetoric may have earned him global admiration, but his inability to bridge the gap between words and deeds left his legacy tarnished, both at home and abroad.
Act 7: The Immigration Boomerang
Immigration, a cornerstone of Trudeau’s agenda, became a double-edged sword. Early in his tenure, Trudeau’s open-arms policy, epitomised by his 2017″ Welcome to Canada” tweet, won international praise. His government resettled 25, 000 Syrian refugees, positioning Canada as a beacon of inclusivity. However, the surge of asylum seekers crossing the US border strained resources, particularly in Quebec, and sparked criticism of Trudeau’s management. His government had amended the Safe Third Country Agreement by 2023 to address irregular crossings, indicating a tougher stance.
Canada’s ambitious immigration targets —over 1.4 million newcomers between 2023 and 2025—aimed to address labour shortages but exacerbated housing and infrastructure challenges. Cities like Toronto and Vancouver struggled to maintain a rising demand, which exacerbated public resentment.
While Trudeau emphasised skilled workers and economic migrants, critics argued the government failed to plan for long-term integration, creating bottlenecks in healthcare, education, and housing. Ottawa was accused of shifting costs onto local governments by provincial leaders.
His struggle to strike a balance between humanitarian goals and pragmatic governance was highlighted by Trudeau’s changing immigration policies. What started out as a vision of inclusivity ended up being a logistical compass, splitting Canada between its immigration strategy’s benefits and drawbacks.
Act 8: Politics Strikes Back
By 2025, Trudeau’s political capital had evaporated. Key allies like Chrystia Freeland and his Liberals had abandoned ship, and they trailed the Conservatives by a staggering 25 points. Internal dissent reached a boiling point, and Trudeau’s resignation wasn’t a grand farewell—it was a retreat. Many will wonder if Trudeau left it until it was too late because it happened at a time when his party is struggling.
For Trudeau, his rise and fall encapsulated the pitfalls of political branding. He left as a polarizing figure whose contradictions overshadowed his accomplishments and assumed the role of the poster child for progressive politics. A leader who advocated for inclusivity and climate change but fell short of execution and ethics is a contested legacy of Trudeau’s. As Canada looks ahead, Trudeau’s era serves as a cautionary tale of how style, without substance, can backfire spectacularly.
