Two term Trump? Half expect the President to be re-elected in 2020, most say it would be bad for Canada

The marathon that is the United States’ presidential campaign is off and running, well ahead of a November 2020 vote to determine the next leader of the free world.

While Democrats prepare for the second round of debates, a new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians discouraged and resigned over the prospect of the current president’s re-election.

As has been the case since he took the oath of office in 2017, Canadians are overwhelmingly negative when it comes to U.S. President Donald Trump and his team at the White House. Seven-in-10 (69 per cent) say they have an overall negative opinion of his administration’s performance since January 2017 when he assumed office, and 72 per cent say they are pessimistic about what the next year and a half will bring ahead of the 2020 election.

If, indeed, Trump is re-elected, two-thirds (67 per cent) say it will have a negative impact on Canada, eight times more than those who say it will be positive. The two nations have engaged in tense trade negotiations since Trump’s election, while Prime Minister Trudeau has been the target of both condemnation and praise from the brash U.S. leader.

More Key Findings:

- Men continue to be more supportive of the Trump presidency than women, though their enthusiasm is relatively tepid. One-quarter of men (23 per cent) have a positive view of the administration so far compared to just one-in-10 women (11 per cent). Middle aged men, those 35 to 54 years of age, are most positive, while women under 35 are most negative.

- Quebec, Atlantic and B.C. residents are most concerned that a win for the Republican leader would be negative for Canada, while Albertans are most likely to say such a result would be positive.

- The percentage of Canadians who are optimistic and hopeful about the Trump presidency has remained consistent since February of 2017, at approximately three-in-10. Seven-in-10 (72 per cent) say they are currently pessimistic and worried about the remainder of the president’s first term.

The full poll can be viewed at http://angusreid.org/trump-2020/