POLL: Majority of Canadians tired of hearing so much about Trump
Canadians are fed up with the fixation on Donald Trump, with a new poll revealing a widespread belief that critical domestic issues are far more pressing threats to the nation's future.
Canadians are fed up with the government and legacy media’s fixation on Donald Trump, with a new poll revealing a widespread belief that critical domestic issues like housing, affordability, healthcare, and rising costs are far more pressing threats to the nation's future - and a whopping 85% saying they’re tired of hearing so much about Donald Trump.
Abacus Data released new survey data after asking 1,500 Canadian adults from August 28 to September 2 their thoughts on what issues matter most, five months after the Liberals took office.
Pollsters found that 61 per cent of Canadians think the government is paying too much attention to Trump, with 26 per cent saying "far too much." Only 33 per cent of Canadians feel the government is dedicating the right amount of attention to Trump.
Quebecers (68 per cent) and Atlantic Canadians (63 per cent) were most likely to say the federal government is spending too much time on Trump instead of domestic issues.
“Younger Canadians are especially critical, with 70 per cent of those aged 18–44 saying the government is too focused on Donald Trump,” the study said. “Even among Liberal voters, more than half, 51 per cent, believe their government is distracted by Trump when pressing domestic problems remain unresolved.”
Despite 60 per cent of Liberal voters saying a fear of Trump primarily swayed their vote in April, the recent Abacus poll found that now 69 per cent of Liberal voters believe domestic issues pose a bigger threat to the country. Conversely, 27 per cent of Liberal voters believe the government focuses too much on Trump.
A majority of Canadians, 60 per cent, believe domestic issues such as affordability, housing, healthcare, and rising costs pose the biggest threat to Canada, compared to 40 per cent who cited Trump's policies and unpredictability.
Conservative voters were most likely to prioritize domestic issues at 72 per cent, while half of Liberal voters agreed.
Nearly eight in 10 Canadians, 79 per cent, expect rising costs, housing and healthcare to have a greater impact on their families over the next two years. Only 21 per cent believe U.S. tariffs or trade policies will have the most impact.
Similarly, 76 per cent of Canadians believe federal leaders should focus more on domestic issues, with just 24 per cent advocating for attention on Trump's policies. Conservatives again led in agreement at 82 per cent, while 69 per cent of Liberal supporters shared this view.
Another poll from Abacus released earlier in the week gave the Carney Liberals poor grades for addressing affordability and housing, with only 26% saying the government is on track with affordability efforts (down 6) and 27% feeling progress is being made on housing (down 3).
Nearly half of Canadians, 47 per cent, believe a deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump is unlikely. Bloc Québécois voters were most pessimistic, with 71 per cent doubting Carney's ability to secure a tariff-free deal with the U.S.
The survey was taken from a sample of opt-in online panellists. Abacus Data stated that the margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample was no greater than 2.53 per cent, 19 times out of 20.