Trump wants Canada as US state, but what do Canadians think? What recent poll found

Since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in incorporating Canada into the United States. But, up north, the feeling is far from reciprocal.

Recent polling reveals the vast majority of Canadians do not want to see their country become part of the U.S.

In a Leger survey, 82% of respondents said they would not like Canada to become the 51st U.S. state, while 13% said they would like it to become an American state.

Conducted between Dec. 6 to 9, the poll sampled 1,520 Canadian adults and has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

The results varied slightly by province, but, in each case, a majority said they wanted Canada to remain a sovereign nation.

In the Atlantic provinces — which include Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island — 90% of respondents said they wanted Canada to remain independent, while just 7% said they wanted to become part of the U.S.

In contrast, in Alberta, 74% of respondents favored independence, while 19% favored American statehood.

The responses also differed somewhat based on partisan affiliation.

Among supporters of the New Democratic Party (NDP), 94% favor Canada remaining independent, while 6% support becoming the 51st U.S. state.

Meanwhile, among supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC), 89% said they wanted Canada to remain a sovereign country, while 10% said they wanted to be absorbed into the U.S.

Support for American statehood was the strongest among backers of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC). Twenty-one percent of CPC supporters said they favored becoming a U.S. state, while 73% said they wanted Canada to remain independent.

More on Trump’s comments

For weeks, Trump has made comments about annexing Canada — leaving many wondering whether he is serious or not.

In posts on social media, he has repeatedly referred to Canada — a longtime American ally and vital trading partner — as “the 51st state.”

And, during a news conference Jan. 6, he threatened to use “economic force” to acquire the country, according to NBC News.

“The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on the same day. “If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — who recently announced he will resign — responded to Trump’s comments, saying there is not “a snowball’s chance in hell” of Canada becoming part of the U.S., according to the BBC.

Since winning re-election, Trump has also made similar comments about acquiring other territories, including the Panama Canal and Greenland.

This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Trump wants Canada as US state, but what do Canadians think? What recent poll found."