Canadian opinion of the U.S. falling sharply due to Trump: survey

Canadian opinion of the United States has fallen after the election of President Donald Trump, according to a new a survey by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). 

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of surveyed Canadians feel the U.S. is not “headed in the right direction” following last year’s presidential election, with almost the same amount of respondents answering “no” and “I don’t know.”

Sixty-three per cent of respondents also say they are taking Trump’s “51st state” threats very seriously.

“What was significant was the extent to which Canadian attitudes towards the United States have declined so substantially,” said Jack Jedwab, president of the Montreal-based ACS. “It’s historical. I’ve done polling for several decades and I don’t recall ever seeing Canadian opinion of the United States this low.”

Jedwab says the ACS is seeing significant repositioning in terms of who is seen as major allies, noting younger Canadians view the U.S. almost the same as China and Russia. The survey suggests Canadians view the European Union and Mexico far more favourably than the Unites States.

“I never would have thought a day would come where I’d imagine that we’d position the United States with some of the countries that we see as most hostile to our interests and democratic values,” Jedwab said.

Canadians’ positive opinion of the United States has declined from just over 50 per cent since last June.

The negative shift in opinion could be linked to hostile statements and actions directed towards Canada by Trump. The survey does make a clear distinction that the less favourable views on the United States stems more from the government and not the people. 

Montrealers expressed their frustrations with the current tensions.

“We’re very upset for them being our greatest ally and now they become an enemy and with Trump doing what he’s doing on a daily basis and it’s like playing a game with us,” a Montrealer told CityNews.

“They’re forcing us into something we’re not used to or don’t necessarily welcome, but they do have the power to force us,” said another.

“We have lost our desire to go to the States and we have family there,” said a third.

“We should be very proud of who we are as Canadians,” added another. “We are loved worldwide, and I can attest to that because we’ve lived in many, many countries where they hated the Americans but they loved us. And that for me is our badge of courage. We should be very proud of that.”

Americans visiting or living in the city also shared their discontent with the U.S. administration.

“He’s dismantled the Constitution so that he can try to pull a hostile takeover and nobody is speaking up to stand in his way right now,” said a tourist from Vermont.

“We were afraid of coming here,” added another Vermonter. “Everyone’s been so friendly but we are embarrassed to be from the United States and come to a different country. We just feel terrible about what’s going on.”

“As an American, I fully agree, like I’m on your side,” said an American student living in Montreal. “I think it’s really silly and I feel really bad about all the changes that have happened and I just want you know: unity, not division.”

The survey included 1,548 respondents in Canada on March 1-2. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey for comparison purposes. A probability sample of 1,539 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.