A deepening trade war with the United States has pushed Donald Trump to even higher prominence in Canadian politics, with nearly half of Canadians now ranking the U.S. president and his administration among the most important issues facing their country, according to a new national poll. The survey, released Sunday by Abacus Data, was carried out before President Trump posted a provocative "Donald Duck Army" AI video, which added fuel to the row over his renaming of Lake Ontario. The clip features the birds armed with assault rifles and Donald Trump haircuts, guarding "Lake America." The poll found that 45 per cent of Canadians identified Trump and his administration as one of the three most important issues facing the country, up seven percentage points from two weeks earlier.
The issue now ranks second only to the rising cost of living, cited by 62 per cent of respondents, and is the most frequently cited concern in Quebec. The economy ranked third at 39 per cent, followed by housing affordability at 30 per cent and healthcare at 29 per cent. Respondents were allowed to select up to three issues, meaning totals exceed 100 per cent.
The findings come as relations between Ottawa and Washington have deteriorated following the collapse of trade negotiations and the imposition of new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended talks with the United States on August 21 rather than accept Washington's terms, and 50 per cent U.S. tariffs took effect the following day. Most respondents were surveyed after those developments.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email. The poll suggests the dispute is having political repercussions at home. If a federal election were held today, 45 per cent of committed voters would back the governing Liberals, compared with 35 per cent for the Conservatives, giving the Liberals a 10-point lead.
That is up from a seven-point lead in Abacus' previous survey completed on August 12. Among Canadians who identified Trump as a top issue, 60 per cent said they would vote Liberal and 21 per cent Conservative. When asked which federal party was best able to deal with Trump and his administration, 62 per cent chose the Liberals compared with 18 per cent who selected the Conservatives.
The renewed focus on Trump comes as a separate dispute over the name of Lake Ontario has fueled tensions between the neighboring countries. Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to use the name "Lake America" for the lake, which is shared by Canada and the United States. Canada has rejected the move.
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