NATIONAL PULSE – Making nice at the White House won’t get us a trade deal
Carney and Trump in the Oval Office. (Image: Screenshot, White House video)
By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE
October 10, 2025 – New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds that in contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump’s sentiment, that Canadians will be “very happy” with the trade deal coming their way, most are feeling increasingly less confident that this is the case.
Overall, two-thirds (67%) say the cordiality shown by Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney this week is just optics, and will not lead to true progress on a deal, which missed a Trump-appointed deadline for signing in August. One-in-five (20%) are more hopeful that the warm tone between the two is a sign of a mutually beneficial deal to come.
The trend in confidence among Canadians, however, is going in the wrong direction.
In July, 46 per cent were confident that Canada would make a good deal, with 45 per cent not confident. In August and September, confidence dropped to 43 per cent. Now, just 35 per cent have confidence, while three-in-five (58%) lack it.
It’s not necessarily Carney that is driving this drop. In fact, a solid majority (58%) say that Trump’s unpredictability is their cause for disillusionment. This group who place the blame primarily on Trump includes 95 per cent of 2025 Liberal voters and a much smaller but still significant minority of Conservatives (37%).
More Key Findings:
- Trump’s administration remains deeply unpopular in Canada, with 13 per cent viewing it positively so far and 71 per cent negatively. Positivity peaks in Saskatchewan at 29 per cent and drops to nine per cent in Atlantic Canada
- Mark Carney’s approval holds at 50 per cent for the second consecutive month as negotiations continue, with Minister of Finance Dominic Leblanc voicing hope that the two parties will “quickly” land deals on key exports like steel and aluminum
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Leave a comment