A new poll shows that a majority of Americans reject President Donald Trump's decision to rename Lake Ontario and impose additional tariffs on Canada.
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According to a poll conducted by Ipsos in collaboration with Reuters, 63% of respondents opposed the renaming, while only 14% supported it, and 21% said they did not know, indicating a decline in the popularity of these policies even within Republican circles.
The poll revealed a clear partisan divide, with only a third of Republicans (33%) approving of the executive order, while 43% opposed it. Only 6% of Democrats supported the move, while 46% of participants considered the United States to be most responsible for the trade dispute with Canada.
These results come amid an escalating trade war, with Trump’s 50% tariffs on a variety of Canadian goods taking effect after trade talks collapsed. Canada retaliated with similar “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs effective September 8, with Trump threatening to increase tariffs on additional goods such as cars and steel to 50% starting in January. This move was supported by 20% of respondents and opposed by 57%.
Despite the escalating conflict, 68% of participants expressed their willingness to make concessions to Canada, even if Washington did not get most of what it wanted, compared to 25% who preferred a firm stance. 40% of participants expected the tariffs to negatively affect their personal financial situations, while only 4% anticipated a positive impact. Meanwhile, economists warned that the tariffs constitute a direct cost to the American economy, given the Canadian industry's reliance on American components.
