Canadians are not substantially more optimistic about the direction of the country’
Concern over Donald Trump and his administration has surged among Canadians, a signal that political and trade tension with the United States shows little sign of easing and could keep affecting staffing, supply chains and cross-border business planning.
A new Abacus Data survey released August 30, 2026, found 45% of Canadians now name Trump among the three most important issues facing the country, up seven points in two weeks.
Trump placed second only to the rising cost of living, cited by 62% of respondents, and ahead of the economy at 39%, housing affordability at 30% and healthcare at 29%, according to Abacus Data. Respondents could select up to three issues, so totals exceed 100%.
Business groups warned of "immediate and significant" fallout for small firms as Ontario, Quebec and B.C. face the steepest job losses amid the breakdown of trade talks between Canada and the U.S., according to a previous report.
Trump is now the most frequently cited concern in Quebec specifically, where 63% of respondents named him a top-three issue, up from 52% two weeks earlier — a jump employers with Quebec operations should note given the province's distinct labour and language-law environment. Among Canadians who identified Trump as a top issue nationally, 60% said they would vote Liberal compared with 21% Conservative, Abacus Data found.
The renewed focus on Trump coincides with a separate dispute over the naming of Lake Ontario, Newsweek reported. Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to use "Lake America" for the lake, which Canada shares with the United States, and posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting an armed goose army guarding it.
In a related post, Trump wrote that "Canada has been ripping us off for years—NO LONGER!" while claiming Canadian firms were relocating south of the border, according to Newsweek. Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming, noting the name "Ontario" derives from a Wendat word predating both Canadian Confederation and U.S. independence, Newsweek reported.
Liberal lead is widening
Abacus Data reports that 45% of committed voters would back the Liberals if an election were held today, compared with 35% for the Conservatives, 9% for the NDP, 7% for the Bloc Québécois, 2% for the Green Party and 1% for the People's Party — a 10-point Liberal lead, up from seven points two weeks earlier.
The survey, conducted August 21 to 26 among 2,022 Canadian adults, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points and was fielded as Prime Minister Carney suspended trade negotiations on August 21 and 50% U.S. tariffs took effect the next day. Most interviews were completed after those events, Abacus Data noted.
Government approval rose four points to 56%, while disapproval fell two points to 29%, according to Abacus Data. Carney's personal net impression climbed to +25, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's held steady at -11.
Abacus Data CEO David Coletto said the numbers reflect the immediate political moment rather than a broader shift in sentiment. "Surveys cannot prove causation, but the issue that moved most is the one where the Liberals are strongest, leading 60% to 21% among Trump-focused voters," Coletto said, adding that "this is a rally around the government amid confrontation and its durability depends on what dominates the agenda next."
The collapse of Canada–US trade talks in the early hours of Aug. 22 has set off a wave of alarm across Canadian business communities, with an analysis suggesting roughly 87,000 Canadian jobs could be at risk because of the new 50-per-cent tariffs on Canadian goods. Then, Canada moved to impose sweeping counter-tariffs on approximately $27.6 billion worth of American goods on Tuesday.
