Almost two-thirds of Canadians believe that U.S. democracy may not endure another term with Donald Trump as President, according to an Angus Reid Institute poll. However, Donald Trump Jr., the former President’s eldest son, suggested that Canadians might not have a leg to stand on.
“Canada is jailing journalists, locking up peaceful protestors, forcing fealty to insane gender ideology, barely penalizing rapists, and countless other ridiculous totalitarian policies,” he said in a post to X. “They may want to sit this one out.”
Trump Jr. is referring to journalist David Menzies being apprehended by law enforcement officers last Monday while attempting to question Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on a public street. Menzies was subsequently released without any charges.
Further exemplifying Trump Jr.’s critique, Canada has locked up peaceful protestors like Tamara Lich, who was jailed for weeks while awaiting bail, juxtaposed with Palestinian protestors blocking major roadways without consequences.
The issue of gender ideology has also sparked controversy in Canada. The 1 Million March—a protest against school teachings on gender ideology—featured nearly 100,000 students absent from school on that day.
Regarding Canada’s penalization of rapists, as pointed out by The National Post, Canada’s justice system has been criticized for lenient sentences for serious sexual offenders as a result of Bill C-5, which contains a clause allowing judges to issue community sentences for those convicted of sexual assault or kidnapping.
While 64% of Canadians polled agreed or strongly agreed that U.S. democracy would not survive four more years with Trump as President, 49% believe that the U.S. is on the way to becoming an authoritarian state.
The Colorado Supreme Court recently disqualified Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot. Although Trump was impeached twice during his term, he was acquitted on all counts.
Overall, 53% of respondents believe a Biden victory would be more beneficial for the Canadian economy, compared to 18% that believe so for Trump. The rest feel it doesn’t matter either way.
Regarding the integrity of the upcoming U.S. election, the poll indicated significant apprehension among Canadians.
23% of respondents said they were not confident at all that the necessary safeguards are in place to prevent widespread fraud and cheating in the 2024 election. 38% were not very confident, while only 27% were more confident than not, and a mere 12% expressed absolute confidence in the election’s security.
The Angus Reid Institute poll was published on Monday based on an online survey and utilized a randomized sample of 1,510 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
While the poll showed a clear political divide in opinions about the impact of the U.S. election on the Canadian economy, a recent Spark Advocacy poll showed that Trump is more popular among Canadians than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
