Christine Frechette launched her campaign for Quebec’s October election by calling President Trump a “real adversary,” placing the escalating U.S.-Canada trade war at the center of the contest. Frechette, who leads the right-leaning Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), took over the governing party in April after former Quebec Premier Francois Legault stepped down. The CAQ has governed Quebec for the last eight years, making the October vote Frechette’s first test with voters as leader. She said she is seeking a mandate to guide the province through economic uncertainty caused by tit-for-tat tariffs and argued that her government is best positioned to protect Quebec businesses and workers. The dispute intensified after Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports following Canada’s withdrawal from trade negotiations. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded with “dollar for dollar” tariffs effective Sept. 8, while Trump later announced additional tariffs on Canadian automobiles starting Jan. 1, 2027. On Thursday, Trump also signed an executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario, shared between New York state and Ottawa, to “Lake America.” Canadian independence has become a major election issue amid Trump’s repeated threats to make Canada the 51st U.S. state. Frechette’s main rival, Parti Quebecois (PQ) Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, opposed making Trump the defining issue and said his administration’s tariffs should not take over the election debate.