How Trump's attacks united Canadians and affected Trudeau’s party ratings
With Donald Trump’s return to the American political scene, the atmosphere in US-Canada relations has begun to shift dramatically.
Even during his election campaign, Trump did not hesitate to "troll" Ottawa, suggesting that US could "absorb" Canada if economic conditions became unfavourable or implying that Canadians themselves wished for their country to become America’s "51st state."
Trump mockingly refers to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a mere "governor."
The new US president’s attacks, however, have sparked a fresh wave of patriotism among Canadians, and the ruling Liberal Party’s approval ratings have started to rise.
Read more about how Trump’s rhetoric is influencing Canada’s internal political landscape in the article by Dmytro Sherengovskyi, Ukrainian Catholic University Vice-Rector – "Canada is not for sale": how Trump’s threats affected the US's closest ally.
When Trump began mocking Canada, many Canadians took it personally and emotionally. In response, protests erupted across the country under the slogan Canada Is Not for Sale, a phrase that became the defining message of the movement.
A February 2025 Angus Reid Group poll revealed a surge in national pride: the percentage of those who said they were "very proud" of their country increased to 44%, up from 34% in December 2024. A similar rise was observed in the number of people expressing "deep emotional attachment to Canada," which climbed from 49% to 59%.
The patriotic fervor peaked with Canada’s victory over the US in the NHL Four Nations Tournament final in Boston.
Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could not hold back his emotions, tweeting: "You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game": a clear jab at the US president.
With a challenging election ahead, Trudeau’s Liberal Party is rallying its voter base by emphasising Canadian sovereignty and it’s working.
Aggregate polling data from major agencies, compiled by CBC, showed that as of 6 January, Liberal support had hit a historic low of 20.1%, putting the party at risk of losing even second place in the upcoming elections. But by 23 February, their support had rebounded to 27.5%.
Meanwhile, this increase coincided with a slow but steady decline in Conservative Party support (from 44.2% to 41.8%) and a sharp drop for the Democrats (from 19.3% to 15.4%).
In essence, Trump’s rhetoric has helped revive support for the Liberals.
Despite remaining the frontrunners, the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, are now facing challenges. If elections were held today, they would still win the most seats, but their chances of securing a majority government have dropped to one in four.
Initially, endorsements from Elon Musk and other influential American right-wing figures positioned Poilievre as an ideological ally, boosting Conservative appeal. However, as Trump ramped up his pressure on Canada, these ties turned into a "toxic asset" for the party.
Trump’s talk of "selling" or even "annexing" Canada has triggered deeper societal shifts beyond temporary outrage. Those who are skeptical of US policies now have even greater motivation to rally around a pro-Canada stance.
However, some analysts stress that a break from the US is unlikely, given the deep economic integration between the two countries and the necessity of cooperation on security issues, particularly within NORAD.