According to Google, queries for “how to apply for Canadian citizenship” spiked at 10:32 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, about one hour into the debate. At 4:24 a.m. on Wednesday, that same query skyrocketed in frequency. The Google search was most popular in Massachusetts, followed by Michigan, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania, in that order.
Other search queries, including “how to move to Canada” and “move to Canada” also experienced substantial spikes during Tuesday’s debate. The “how to move to Canada” search spiked at 10:48 p.m. EDT, while the “move to Canada” query also spiked at 10:48 p.m. and once again at 7:12 a.m. the following day.
While the “move to Canada” search was most popular in Wyoming, Vermont, Oregon, Colorado and Washington state, the “how to move to Canada” search was most popular in the following states in this order: Oregon, Wyoming, Washington, Colorado and Vermont.
Many Twitter users also expressed their desire to move to Canada following Tuesday’s debate.
The hashtag “#TrumpIsARacist” was also trending on Twitter Wednesday.
“Joe Biden just clearly and concisely denounced white supremacy. Why is it so easy for Joe and so hard for @realDonaldTrump?” one user wrote.
“Donald Trump has made the Proud Boys a household name. He’s the one killing suburbia....and cities, countrysides,” another user wrote.
During the debate, replete with bitter exchanges and numerous interruptions as moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News struggled to control the chaos, Trump failed to condemn white supremacy and told the Proud Boys group, a far-right, neo-fascist organization, to “stand back and stand by.”
"The Proud Boys," Trump said during the debate, "stand back and stand by. But I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what: somebody's got to do something about Antifa and the left, because this is not a right-wing problem."
Trump has faced widespread backlash, including from fellow Republicans, for refusing to condemn white supremacy in Tuesday’s debate. However, when questioned by reporters on the matter on Wednesday, Trump clarified that he was unfamiliar with the Proud Boys, and that the group should “stand down and let law enforcement do their work.”
On Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said that "of course" Trump should have clearly condemned white supremacy, CBS News reported. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) also told reporters Wednesday he was "hoping for more clarity" from Trump on the topic of race.