Majority of Canadians say a second Trump term would be 'bad' or 'terrible': Angus Reid Institute

Some Maritimers will be hitting the polls this fall for municipal and provincial elections, but another election south of the border is getting a lot of attention.

"The election in the U.S. is so high profile on social media and TV right now," said Halifax resident Jennifer Morrison.

It's been a busy few days in American politics, most recently with President Joe Biden announcing he will not be seeking reelection. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run against former president Donald Trump.

"We're looking at the states because what happens in the states politically usually filters into Canada to some degree, and I think we're seeing that. We're seeing some divisions that are created politically," said digital anthropologist Giles Crouch.

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According to a new poll by Angus Reid Institute, the majority of Canadians do not want to see another Trump term.

"I'm not surprised that Canada or Canadians reflect a global apprehension about what is happening of may be happening in the United States," said Cape Breton University political science professor Tom Urbaniak.

The Angus Reid poll revealed 38 per cent of those surveyed feel it would be terrible for Canada if Trump were to be reelected and 28 per cent said it would be bad.

"I'd rather not see Trump in office again. I think it does impact Canadians as much as it really impacts in the U.S.," said Morrison.

Nine per cent believe a Trump win would be good and six per cent said it would be excellent.

"I believe in his policies. I think he looks after the Americans. Even though I'm from Australia, I think that's the way to go," said Peter McSwain who's visiting Halifax.

The survey also showed 14 per cent felt neutral or mixed, and five per cent were unsure.

Of those polled, the majority of Liberal and NDP-leaning respondents think a Trump reelection would be bad or terrible. The Conservative response was torn three ways between bad, neutral and good.

"There's a polarization actually within Canada that this poll reveals," said Urbaniak.

The survey was conducted online from July 18 to 22 among a randomized sample of 1,435 Canadian adults with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.