WATCH: Eby doubles down on Trump attacks, says Findlay applying for 'MAGA regional manager'

VANCOUVER — From the moment Kerry-Lynne Findlay was elected leader of he BC Conservatives, Premier David Eby and the BC NDP have attacked her as a Trump-adjacent extremist.

During a press conference in Burnaby on Tuesday, he doubled down on that rhetoric, suggesting she's running not for premier of British Columbia, but "MAGA regional manager."

"I'll stay tuned to see what the plan is," Eby said when asked whether he'd call a prompt by-election if a BC Conservative MLA offers Findlay their seat. "From my perspective, the job that she's applying for right now looks a lot more like MAGA regional manager than premier of British Columbia."

Eby repeatedly referred to Findlay as divisive, and warned that she was pulling the party further to the right than her predecessors.

In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, the Democrats dismissed Donald Trump and tried to scare voters. That backfired, and he took on the role of the anti-establishment candidate, ultimately besting Hillary Clinton.

When asked by Sitka Media, Eby dismissed concerns that his party's similar line of attack could actually make Findlay more popular.

"I know that many people are saying that she is far right, that she's extreme," he said, "but what matters to British Columbians is that the Conservatives under Kerry-Lynne Findlay are completely united in making housing more expensive."

The BC NDP's response to Findlay's victory referred to her as "the most extreme, divisive party leader in BC history," suggesting she exhibited "Trump-style politics."

Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon piled on, calling Findlay and her supporters "Maple MAGA."

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar added that Findlay's victory "puts the pro-Trump wing of the party firmly in charge."

This is far from the first time politicians in Canada have referred to their opponents as Trump-like. During the 2025 federal election, for example, Prime Minister Mark Carney defeated Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre largely by comparing him and his policies to the president and his unique brand of politics.