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A record 38% of Republicans say Canada is unfriendly or an enemy of the U.S.
A record 38% of Republicans describe Canada as unfriendly or an enemy, marking the highest level in the past decade, according to an Economist and YouGov Poll conducted August 28-31, 2026.
President Donald Trump's confrontational economic policies, including a 50% tariff on Canadian goods and an order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America in United States federal usage, have driven the shift.
Broad opposition persists across party lines: 58% of Americans oppose tariff increases, while 87% of Democrats and 64% of Independents express disapproval, compared with only 25% of Republicans.
A Leger survey released Saturday found a plurality of Canadians now view the United States as an "enemy" nation, with Leger vice president Andrew Enns attributing the shift to President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on their sovereignty.
Brian Rathbun, a professor at the University of Toronto, warned that while Canadians currently separate their dislike of Trump from their view of Americans, persistent confrontation could fracture the relationship long-term.