Despite former U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Canada has been taking advantage of the United States, new polling shows that American support for Canada as a top ally is actually on the rise.
According to a recent Pew Research Center survey conducted in March, 12 per cent of Americans now identify Canada as the most important U.S. ally — double the six per cent who said the same in 2023. That surge comes even as Trump continues to accuse Canada of unfair trade practices and calls for tougher tariffs on Canadian goods.
The U.K. remains the leading choice, with 18 per cent of Americans naming Britain as the top ally, though that figure is down from 22 per cent in 2023. Canada now ranks second, ahead of countries like Japan and Germany.
While the poll revealed a generally favorable perception of Canada among Americans, it also exposed a sharp political divide. Among the 1,804 respondents who answered questions about their views on Canada, 74 per cent overall held a favorable opinion — but only 61 per cent of Republicans said the same, compared to a striking 87 per cent of Democrats.
Japan led the favorability rankings at 77 per cent, followed closely by Canada and Italy at 74 per cent each, with the U.K. slightly lower at 70 per cent. The survey included 3,605 American adults and was conducted online and by phone between March 24 and 30. Results were weighted to reflect U.S. demographic distribution.
Meanwhile, Trump claimed this week that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is planning a visit to Washington in the coming days. However, Carney’s office has yet to confirm or comment on any official trip.