The 2016 American election saw the unexpected rise of Donald Trump as the Republican Party Presidential candidate and the polarization of the electorate behind two highly unpopular leaders. The 2015 Canadian election witnessed the unexpected rise of Justin Trudeau as the Liberal Party leader and the rejection of an unpopular Conservative leader. The US experience is compared to the 1930s and 1940s while the Canadian case is presented as a resurgence of Canadian values. This is misleading. The two victories may be seen as swept along by similar forces operating in Canada and the US.