Photo credit: CTV News
For as long as anyone can remember, Canada and the US have arguably been the world’s closest allies and friends. The sibling settler-colonial nations sharing the world’s longest undefended border are deeply linked, culturally and economically, with any differences historically resolved respectfully.
National Post reports that as the trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump drags on, getting uglier every day, a growing number of Canadians have a very different view of America: our “enemy.”
New polling by Leger found a strong plurality of Canadians (41 per cent) consider the US an enemy country before an ally or neutral (both at 22 per cent).
“Donald Trump, man, he can move public opinion like nobody’s business,” Leger vice-president Andrew Enns told National Post in an interview.
More than half (51 per cent) of those 55 or older perceived the US as an enemy, while only 13 per cent saw it as neutral. Meanwhile, Quebecers were the Canadians most likely (49 per cent) to see the US in that light and the least likely to consider it an ally (17 per cent) or neutral (20 per cent), one of several times an “exclamation point” appeared on some Quebec results.
Enns said they related to the province’s election this fall, into which the Trump factor has unavoidably entered.
“It’s helping, I would suggest, some of those federalist parties,” he said. “It’s probably creating some grief for PQ, the front-runner in that election, as they’re trying to sort of navigate this.”
Even with the recent sharp movement in how Canadians characterize the US, Leger’s results indicate most still distinguish between America the country and the Trump administration ruling it. When asked if h isleaving office would change their impression, 64 per cent said yes, 21 per cent said it wouldn’t and 14 per cent were unsure.
Brian Rathburn, a professor of international relations and political science at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, said that while Canadians may recognize that most Amwricans don’t support the way Canada’s being treated, it’s important to remember that Americans, simply as a function of their larger economy and population, are somewhat indifferent to Canadians.
Rathburn, himself an American who moved to Canada in April 2024 from southern California said, Canadians mat be starting to realize that a change in leadership – “even with a Democratic president” – won’t fix the “basket case” the US has become.
