That's a great question. I think there's been a lot of influence from the U.S., but the potential for this inane behaviour was always there.

Unfortunately where I live (northern Ontario), the people you see who are all like, Fuck Trudeau, are the ones with the massive Ford F250's with lift kits and regular-sized tires in winter, who decided not to further their education after high-school. These are people who don't listen to reason and believe the ramblings of people who are literally unhinged, because they want to believe someone/thing is responsible for their life choices and problems.

With the convoy that went to Ottawa (a whole other story), my husband would try to reason with these people in FB groups. He got banned a lot. Most of them would quote Joe Rogan and Russel Brand, who are hilariously not Canadian.