OTTAWA (Reuters) - About two-thirds of Canadians surveyed this month said American democracy cannot survive another four years of Donald Trump in the White House, and about half said the United States is on the way to becoming an authoritarian state, a poll released on Monday said.

The November U.S. election is likely to pit President Joe Biden against Trump, who is the clear frontrunner to win the Republican nomination as voting in the presidential primary race kicks off in Iowa on Monday.

Sixty-four percent of respondents in the Angus Reid Institute poll of 1,510 Canadians said they agreed with the statement: “U.S. democracy cannot survive another four years of Donald Trump.” Twenty-eight percent disagreed.

The Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters seeking to block certification of Biden’s 2020 election win shocked many Canadians, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly blamed Trump for inciting the mob.

Trump has vowed if elected again to punish his political enemies, and he has drawn criticism for using increasingly authoritarian language.

Three times as many Canadians say a Biden victory would be better for Canada’s economy (53%) than a Trump win (18%), according to the poll which was seen exclusively by Reuters. The poll, taken between Jan. 9-11, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points

  • Evkob
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    11 months ago

    With how the Conservative Party has been importing the GOP’s brand of reactionary politics over the last few years, I’d say the current radicalisation of our southern neighbour (who is also by far our largest trading partner and with whom we share the world’s longest land border) is one of Canada’s many problems. Quite a big one at that.

    • TJDetweiler
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      11 months ago

      After seeing all the Canadian flags flying on the back up pick up trucks during covid, I could not possibly agree more. The conservative osmosis bleeding up into Canada, especially Alberta, is quite concerning.

      • Evkob
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        11 months ago

        At least they’re Canadian flags. I’ve seen trucks with Trump stickers. Some guy a couple houses down the street from me has a Confederate flag in his window. I’ve heard people talk about their “first amendment rights” as Canadian citizens who have never stepped foot in the US.

        If Alberta is Canada’s Texas, New Brunswick is Florida.