With Trump looming, Pierre Poilievre tries to wrap himself in the flag [Video]

Donald Trump now seems to loom over everything — almost as overwhelmingly as the giant Canadian flag that loomed behind Pierre Poilievre at his “Canada First” rally last weekend.

If not for Trump, it seems unlikely Poilievre would have been celebrating Flag Day so enthusiastically. For that matter, if not for Trump, it seems likely that this Flag Day — inaugurated in 1996 to mark the adoption of the red maple leaf as this country’s national flag in 1965 — would have passed with little to no notice.

But the 29th annual Flag Day was said to be of particular importance to Poilievre. His speech was touted variously as a “shift” and a “rebranding.” It was said to be “the pivotal moment of his career” and “one of the most important speeches” he had ever given.

One of Poilievre’s tasks seemed to be simple reassurance — or catching up to the national discourse. …