YouUS President Donald Trump Harsh words addressed to Canada did not shake the Americans' respect for their friendly northern neighbor. A new Leger poll of voting-age Americans shows they continue to see Canada in a good light, and a clear majority of Americans believe Canada negotiates in good faith when it comes to trade between the two countries.
This Leger poll, conducted October 24-26, 2025, shows that an impressive 75 percent of American voters believe Canada is negotiating in good faith (31 percent extremely confident and 44 percent somewhat confident) amid the current dispute over trade and tariffs. A measly 6 percent share their president's opinion of Canada; they believe Canada is not negotiating in good faith and is not “seeking a fair outcome for both countries.”
Perhaps surprisingly, Leger sees no significant difference between how Democrats and Republicans viewed the conflict. Clear majorities in both camps trust Canada: 90 percent of Democratic voters and 67 percent of Republicans share this view. It's a rare consensus between these rival camps, which have agreed on little in recent years.
When asked whether they believe the United States is also negotiating in good faith, Americans are almost evenly divided: 52 percent believe the current U.S. administration is negotiating in good faith, while 48 percent have little confidence that this is the case. Not surprisingly, the split follows party lines: the vast majority of Republicans trust Trump and his team (85 percent), while nearly seven in ten Democrats (68 percent) seriously doubt them.
In short, more Americans trust Canada to negotiate in good faith than their own federal government.
Aalthough intergovernmental relations While the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will remain tense next year, Léger finds that Americans still largely perceive Canada as a reliable ally—again, with few partisan differences.
When asked how they would describe Canada in the context of trade and economic relations, 58 percent of respondents view Canada as a “close ally” or “friendly partner,” compared to only 9 percent who view Canada as a hostile neighbor. Just 4 percent consider Canada an “adversary,” contrary to the tone of recent presidential remarks.
Nothing in Leger's data suggests that such animosity exists among American voters. Even when the results are broken down by political affiliation, the differences between Democratic and Republican voters remain surprisingly modest—again, a rarity in a country that is deeply polarized on nearly every political and social issue.
Among Democrats, 67 percent see Canada as an ally or partner, compared with 58 percent of Republicans. What's even more striking is that only 16 percent of Republicans, who typically share Trump's worldview, believe Canada is hostile to U.S. interests. On this issue, the vast majority of Republican voters clearly disagree with the president's rhetoric.
Overall, the data points to the same conclusion: Americans, including Trump supporters, have little animosity toward Canada. And when asked to describe the bilateral relationship “beyond the current trade dispute,” 73 percent said it was good or even—as 87 percent of Republican voters did—excellent.
MMost Americans (63 percent) say they don't know Canada's new prime minister, which is not surprising after just seven months in office. However, among those who know him, Mark Carney has net positive ratings across party lines. Among Trump voters, 30 percent view Carney favorably, compared with 13 percent unfavorably—a net plus of seventeen, despite 57 percent saying they don't know enough to judge him.
Among Democrats, 40 percent have a positive view of Carney, while only 3 percent have an unfavorable view.
Trade disputes between Canada and the United States are nothing new, although they have certainly intensified since Trump returned to the White House last January. However, the vast majority of Americans—regardless of political affiliation—continue to see Canada as a reliable ally and economic partner. The president's recent tirades against Ontario's pro-free trade advertising may stir up short-term passions among his electorate, but there is little evidence that Canadians' frustrations last winter have been reciprocated. Canada's image among Americans remains virtually unchanged.
This Leger Poll was conducted from October 24 to October 26, 2025, among a representative sample of n=1,010 American voters. The survey was commissioned by 338Canada and French media outlet Maintenant Media. The Canada-U.S. Relations report section can be found Here.
