Neil Macdonald, a former CBC journalist and husband of Canada’s ambassador to the Vatican, ignited backlash over a series of self-published essays in which he disparaged Conservative voters as “rumpy-Trumpy” and questioned whether Pierre Poilievre’s relationship with the media was worse than Hitler’s. Blacklock's Reporter says the Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the matter when asked yesterday.In an April 29 post following the general election, Macdonald wrote: “Poilievre’s people were loyally rumpy-Trumpy, and this is their payback?” He then launched into a broadside against the Conservative base, describing them as “pro-Poilievre, pro-Convoy, pro-MAGA, anti-woke, anti-government, anti-trans, anti-World Economic Forum, anti-migrant, anti-electric cars, anti-diversity, anti all sorts of other things.”.Macdonald is married to Joyce Napier, a former CTV reporter now serving as Canada’s $199,000-per-year ambassador to the Vatican. Both are designated public office holders under the Conflict of Interest Act. Macdonald did not respond to interview requests.In another post dated April 23, Macdonald criticized Poilievre’s media strategy, noting, “Stories about Pierre Poilievre’s and Donald Trump’s mistreatment of the mainstream media have almost become a subgenre of political news.” He added: “There have of course even been Hitler comparisons. I’m guessing Hitler’s treatment of journalists was somewhat harsher, but whatever.”.Macdonald accused Poilievre of undermining press freedom: “He refuses to allow reporters to travel on his campaign plane, telling them to catch up if they can. Sycophants and advocates posing as reporters get preferential treatment. His hirelings coop up and try to strong-arm real reporters who show up at his events. He takes only a few questions, preferring conservative news outlets, and he refused to respond to follow-ups. He attacks reporters.”He also derided Poilievre’s political style, writing, “Fanboys in Alberta thought becoming the 51st state was a super-keen idea. Poilievre himself even aped Trump, devising clever nicknames for his opponents, peddling three-word slogans, pissing on journalists, serving coffee to the loutish truckers who made life miserable for Ottawans back in 2022.”.By contrast, Macdonald praised Prime Minister Mark Carney as “sensible,” “disciplined,” “impressive” and “right” in a May 7 post, all published on his Substack account where he encourages readers to spend on subscriptions.Macdonald also weighed in on Catholic conservatives, illegal immigrants, and Pope Francis, recalling a 2024 diplomatic ceremony he attended. He recounted being moved by the Pope’s earlier comment, “Who am I to judge?” saying, “Such plain decency had elevated him instantly in my family’s esteem... With five declaratory words he’d made the world a little less dangerous for my son.”Macdonald praised Francis for defending migrants and condemned U.S. policy, writing: “He made a point of standing with desperate migrants even as world leaders seemed even more determined to chain them and grind them further into the dust.” He also criticized the then-U.S. vice president, a Catholic convert, for using church doctrine to justify harsh immigration policies.
