Americans are not likely to view Canada as a closer US partner than they did two years ago, as President Trump intensified a trade conflict with the nation to the north and showed interest in making Canada the 51st state of the US.
According to an opinion poll by the Associated Press (AP)-NORC Public Relations Research Center, just 45% of Americans see Canada as a close ally. This number has dropped 17 points from 62% since September 2023.
About 30% of those surveyed perceive Canada as “friendly” but not as a close ally of the US, a five-point rise from 25% in September 2023.
This change in views regarding Canada is primarily noted among Democratic voters, and to some extent, Republicans. The survey indicates that roughly 51% of Democrats regard Canada as an ally, which is down over 20 percentage points from 73% in 2023.
In an announcement on April 2, Canadian officials revealed that a 25% tariff will be imposed on all automobile imports as the current US administration enacts tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump also mentioned that reciprocal tariffs would be implemented next week.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Thursday that the nation’s long-standing economic connections are at an “end” and asserted that Ottawa will “strongly” resist these actions.
During a phone call on Friday, Trump and Carney referred to their conversation as “productive,” noting that after Canada’s forthcoming elections, “it will be beneficial for both the United States and Canada to collaborate on political, business, and various other matters.”
A Yahoo News/YouGov poll released this week showed that fewer than 20% of Americans support the US annexing Canada.
The AP-NORC survey was conducted with 1,229 Americans from March 20th to 24th, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
