A recent Angus Reid poll indicates that a significant majority of Canadians perceive U.S. President Donald Trump as having underperformed in his first year of his second term in office. The data, collected shortly after Prime Minister Carney's speech at Davos, shows a strong negative sentiment towards Trump's administration among Canadian citizens.
According to the poll, a striking 66% of Canadians would assign Trump a failing grade ('F') for his performance during the year. In contrast, only 15% rated him with an 'A' or 'B.' Notably, among this positive rating group, the majority identified as Conservative voters from the previous year's federal election, with half of them giving Trump a 'C' or better. Such statistics highlight a divided public opinion regarding Trump's impact on bilateral relations.
The Canadians surveyed utilized predominantly unflattering adjectives to characterize Trump's handling of his responsibilities. A substantial 36% described him as 'corrupt,' while 24% labeled his administration as 'chaotic' and another 24% as 'incompetent.' Other descriptors included 'disruptive,' 'reckless,' and 'terrible.' Minimal percentages chose optimistic terms such as 'bold' (6%) or 'transformational' (4%), with only 1% rating his performance as 'great,' a standpoint more likely taken by Conservative voters.
Overall, four out of five Canadians expressed a sense of fear rather than hope for the future under Trump's leadership. When Americans were asked to assess their outlook, they were twice as likely to feel hopeful compared to Canadians. However, both groups exhibited a stronger inclination toward fear concerning Trump’s presidency and its implications.
In terms of domestic leadership, 59% of Canadians commend Prime Minister Carney for effectively managing relations with Trump, while 31% believe he is doing a poor or terrible job; this latter viewpoint is predominantly shared among Conservative voters. Conversely, a remarkable 92% of Liberal voters rated Carney's performance positively, and a majority of respondents from both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois echoed similar sentiments.
The findings also revealed that 61% of Canadians have been increasingly attentive to U.S. news over the past year, while 57% expressed they were closely monitoring international events. Interestingly, nearly half of the respondents (47%) felt that the forced regime change in Venezuela, initiated by the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, poses a negative impact on Canada's oil and gas sector.
Moreover, a significant portion of Canadians (53%) opposed U.S. actions in Venezuela, while 31% showed support. The poll highlighted a broader skepticism regarding U.S. foreign intervention, with 74% of Canadians anticipating that the U.S. would engage in similar regime-change operations in the future, suggesting a lack of confidence in the stability of global politics.
Overall, these developments underscore a tangible discontent and wariness among Canadians regarding the U.S. political climate and its implications for Canada. The Angus Reid poll serves as a reflection of the sentiments echoed across the Canadian populace concerning their southern neighbor's leadership and foreign policy decisions.
Methodology:
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from January 23 to 27, 2026, involving a randomized sample of 1,612 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide by region, gender, age, household income, and education based on the Canadian census. For reference, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
