Canada’s new prime minister is seeking to capitalize on anti-American sentiment spurred by President Trump’s talk about annexing his northern neighbor by holding snap elections that could keep Liberals in control of Parliament.

Prime Minister Mark Carney will ask the governor-general on Sunday to dissolve Parliament and set the election date, the CBC reports.

The fortunes of the Liberal Party reversed after Mr. Trump began making noise about turning Canada into America’s 51st state and slapped 25 percent tariffs on imports. What many believed to be tongue-in-cheek trolling of Canada’s former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has persisted, leaving observers wondering whether Mr. Trump is actually serious.

The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilevre, had a large lead in the polls when Mr. Trudeau announced on January 6 that he was stepping down due to low approval ratings. CBC polling showed Conservatives had 44 percent of the vote to 20 percent for Liberals.

CBC’s Poll Tracker now shows Liberals with a 37.7 to 37.4 percent lead over Conservatives, suggesting they could win 176 seats to the conservative’s 133, which would give the party a majority in the House of Commons.

Support for Liberals shifted sharply after Mr. Trump’s continued disparagement of Canada. Canadians responded with a surge in nationalism, booing the American national anthem at sporting events and pulling American liquor from store shelves.

Mr. Carney has promised to forcefully challenge Mr. Trump’s threats. “The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” Mr. Carney warned during his victory speech 10 days ago.

“Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life,” he added.
The new vote is expected to take place on April 28, the Associated Press reports. The next election was not supposed to take place until October 20.