Pressure is escalating for Pierre Poilievre after his recent claim that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) “covered up” scandals linked to the Justin Trudeau government and that former RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki’s leadership was “despicable.”
In a recent online interview, Poilievre alleged that the RCMP shielded Trudeau from criminal accountability, stating that many scandals from the Trudeau era “should have involved jail time.” He later denied he called for Trudeau to be jailed and said his criticism was aimed at RCMP leadership rather than the former prime minister himself.
The controversy has put the Conservative leader in a difficult position, as members of his caucus quietly deflect questions about the remarks and analysts warn that “pressure will mount in the coming days” if the issue continues to dominate the headlines.
Opposition parties have seized the moment, calling for Poilievre to retract his comments and apologize, arguing that his claims undermine public trust in policing institutions. Poilievre, however, has said his focus remains on ethics and accountability within government rather than on attacking individual officers.
What happens next remains uncertain, but Poilievre’s team is widely expected to reconsider the tone of his messaging on law-enforcement issues, particularly if internal unease grows or the party’s broader platform risks being overshadowed by this episode.
