What doesthe polling actually show? Only 13% of Canadians say that they would like Canada to become the 51st state of the United States, while 82% do not like the idea. Conservative voters (21%) and adherents of the right-wing People’s Party (25%) were more likely to be supportive.
Nevertheless, Ottawa is paying attention to Trump’s more realistic threats, notably to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods unless Ottawa cracks down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling. On Monday, Canada announced C$1.3bn worth of new border security measures including strengthened surveillance, a joint strike force to target organized crime, and increased coordination with US law enforcement.
Trump’s “51st state” salvo also comes at a time when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is reeling from the shock resignation this week of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, which has led to fresh calls for the PM himself to step down.