It’s been two weeks since the conclusion of the United States presidential election, which saw Joe Biden defeat President Donald Trump in both the popular vote and the electoral college.
According to a new report from the Angus Reid Institute, however, close to half of Canadians believe the country will never fully recover from Trump’s divisive four-year term.
Forty-six per cent of Canadians believe that our southern neighbours are so divided, the country will never recover or reunify in the post-Trump era, according to the report.
The non-profit surveyed 1,500 Canadians across the country about what they thought of the recent U.S. presidential election, which saw former vice-president Joe Biden defeat U.S. president Donald Trump.
The majority of Canadians agreed that a Biden presidency will positively benefit the relationship between Canada and the U.S. Notably, 17 per cent of Canadians said it was too early to tell how big of an impact it will have.
There was also a divide among federal party lines, with an overwhelming majority of Liberal, NDP and Bloc voters expressing optimism about a Biden presidency. Conservative Party voters, on the other hand, are more divided.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Biden on his victory, and the House of Commons unanimously voted this week to invite Biden and vice-president elect Kamala Harris to Canada as soon as it is safe to do so.
Close to one in five Canadians surveyed were in favour of a second term for Trump, with the majority coming from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
But according to the report, four years of Trump have also had a huge negative impact on how we view our neighbours overall. Just one-third (35 per cent) of Canadians see the U.S. as a valuable friend and ally, compared to 53 per cent in 2016.
Specifically, Canadians believe the U.S. has suffered when it comes to its position in global affairs, its relationship with Canada, and its role as a progressive society.
As for travel between our two countries? The Canadians surveyed are happy with the current border restrictions, which are expected to be extended again to Dec. 21 this week. In fact, seven in 10 Canadians want them extended until at least the spring, with one in five wanting them to last well into the summer.
“Some are more anxious than others to open up non-essential travel between Canada and the United States,” the reports authors wrote.
“One-in-five Albertans would open the border next week. On the other end of the spectrum, Atlantic Canadians, in a four-province bubble of their own, are most likely to say the border should be closed until at least next summer.”