New POLITICO polling with U.K. firm Public First finds growing Canadian skepticism of U.S. reliability. Majorities said the U.S. is not a dependable ally (58%) and could not be relied on during a crisis (57%). Most respondents said the U.S. challenges allies (67%) and creates problems for other countries (69%), while 43% described it as "mostly a threat." The poll was released as the Trump administration announced new global tariffs, including a 15% import levy and an earlier 10% proposal.
Majority of Canadians View U.S. as Unreliable, Poll Finds
A new POLITICO poll conducted with U.K. research firm Public First shows a growing share of Canadians view the United States as an unreliable partner and a potential source of global instability.
Key Findings
When asked whether the U.S. is a reliable ally, 58% of Canadian respondents said no. A similar share — 57% — said the United States could not be depended on in a crisis. Large majorities also described the U.S. as more likely to challenge than support its partners: 67% said the U.S. "challenges" rather than supports allies, and 69% said it tends to create problems for other countries instead of solving them. POLITICO reports that 43% of respondents called the U.S. "mostly a threat" to global stability.
Context
The poll was released as the Trump administration announced new tariff measures. On Saturday, President Trump said he would impose 15% tariffs on imports from other countries. That followed an earlier announcement of a proposed 10% global tariff after the Supreme Court ruled against sweeping tariffs previously put in place under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Implications: The results suggest increasing Canadian skepticism about U.S. leadership and crisis reliability, a shift that could influence public debate and policy discussions on defence, trade, and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
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