One of the unique traits of the current Donald Trump administration is its ability to sculpt a narrative on social media. Whether the enemy is the previous head of state, “wokeness” or Harvard University, a tweet from Trump can galvanize supporters and offend opponents.
Canada is not immune. Most Canadians — but not as many as a few weeks ago — are paying attention to what Trump is saying and doing. Late last month, 69 per cent of Canadians told us they have followed news related to the dispute over tariffs “very closely” or “moderately closely,” down 15 points since our survey in late March.
The situation could not be more different for Canada’s two main federal political leaders. Practically seven in 10 Canadians (69 per cent, up 10 points) approve of the way Prime Minister Mark Carney has dealt with the tariffs implemented by the United States. The rating for Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre fell from 47 per cent to 39 per cent.
Across the country, 40 per cent of Canadians think a Conservative federal government would be better positioned at this point to deal with the Americans, while a larger proportion (46 per cent) disagree. The age gap that was evident throughout the campaign on properly conducted public opinion research remains. While just over half of Canadians aged 18 to 34 (51 per cent) think a Conservative prime minister would have a better handle on Trump than Carney, fewer Canadians aged 35 to 54 (45 per cent) and aged 55 and over (25 per cent) concur.
More than half of Canadians (54 per cent) approve of the way their provincial premier has managed tariffs. Among the four most-populous provinces, the rating is superior for Doug Ford of Ontario (58 per cent) and David Eby in B.C. (56 per cent) than for Quebec’s François Legault (49 per cent) and Alberta’s Danielle Smith (47 per cent).
Over the past few weeks, the level of animosity toward the U.S. has subsided slightly, with 60 per cent of Canadians saying they are actively avoiding purchasing U.S. goods if a non-American alternative is available, and at least three in 10 avoiding American restaurant franchises, cancelling a planned trip to the U.S. and avoiding American entertainment options. These reductions are accompanied by a faint hope that the worst is behind us, with 40 per cent of Canadians foreseeing the U.S. government rescinding the tariffs implemented on Canadian products.
Majorities remain in favour of targeted action, but not as virulently as a couple of months ago. At least three in five Canadians would welcome suspending all steel, aluminum and wood exports to the United States (65 per cent), shutting off all energy exports (63 per cent) and officially demanding an apology from Trump for his statements related to Canada becoming an American state (60 per cent).
More than half of Canadians (57 per cent) would request an independent dispute settlement panel under the terms of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement and recalling Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. in response to Trump’s statements about Canada becoming an American state (51 per cent). Only one in five Canadians (20 per cent) would welcome a formal process for Canada to become a U.S. state.
At least seven in 10 Canadians are calling for enhanced trade with Australia and New Zealand, the U.K., the EU, Mexico and Japan.
In the fourth month of Trump’s four-year term, Canadians are still wary. More than four in five (82 per cent) think tariffs are “definitely” (45 per cent) or “probably” (37 per cent) still as threat to Canada — a proportion that rises to 86 per cent among those aged 55 and over. While Canadians may not be as angry as before, they know that the erratic nature of the American president will be a peril for the remainder of his tenure.
Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.
Results are based on an online survey conducted from May 25 to May 27, 2025, among 1,002 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
