With Donald Trump’s path to the Republican nomination now looking more or less unobstructed, America’s dating scene is—perhaps—getting ready for his presidency.
A website called Maple Match promises to help Americans “find the ideal Canadian partner to save them from the unfathomable horror of a Trump presidency.” The tagline on the site is “Make dating great again,” a play on Trump’s campaign slogan. The Guardian reports that it was started by Joe Goldman, 25, of Austin, Texas, who told the paper that “Americans are using this as a serious opportunity to meet Canadians.”
“This is about finding the right partner and not caring if they’re on the other side of the border,” he added. “If that person happens to be from Nunavut or Nebraska, great. You should go to a place where you’ll be happy. For a number of Americans, in the event of a Trump presidency, that place would be Canada.”
It’s unclear whether Maple Match began as a joke—or, for that matter, remains a joke. At the moment the site offers nothing more than an online form that asks for some personal details and promises to put registrants on a waitlist. Regardless, it is reportedly developing a small following. According to the Guardian, as of last Friday it was getting 200 registration requests every hour and yesterday (May 10) it received some 5,000 signups. According to CBC it had a total of 12,500 signups by yesterday morning. We couldn’t immediately reach Goldman for comment or confirm these figures.
“I’ve had people begging me to start this,” Goldman told the Guardian. “We’re not just building an anti-Trump app. We’re building something that connects people across borders.” Trump may build the wall, but he can’t stop love.