Viral

Trump Sparks Record-Level Canadian Nationalism

Canadians react strongly to Trump’s controversial proposal to make the country the USA’s 51st state.

Poi Photography from Canada, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Poi Photography from Canada, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mikkel Preisler
By Mikkel Preisler 2. July 2025

This year’s Canada Day took on a whole new meaning for many Canadians. When President Donald Trump recently floated the idea that Canada should become the 51st state of the USA, it was met with outrage and irritation north of the border.

Yet, Trump’s provocation led to an unexpected result: an unprecedented wave of patriotism among Canadians.

Across Canada, national pride was celebrated with extra fervor on Canada Day, July 1st. In Montreal, hundreds of people gathered at Place d’Armes, armed with Canadian flags and with a clear message: Canada is not for sale.

Filippa Contarini was among many who spent the day celebrating the Canadian community:

“I love our beautiful country. Our open, liberal, and free society. But Donald Trump is like a big bully, and he is deeply ignorant. Saying Canada should be the 51st state is simply ridiculous,” she told USA-Today.

The reaction was unanimous across the country, from east to west. Canadians, who are known for their calm and friendly demeanor, chose this time to display their national identity much more openly and visibly.

Several businesses removed American products from their shelves, joining a “buy Canadian” movement.

According to a new poll from Harris Poll Canada, a full 70% of Canadians now declare themselves as strongly patriotic, an increase from previous surveys.

Even in Quebec, where separatist movements have historically been strong, support for the Canadian identity increased significantly.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in his Canada Day speech, “The world is changing, and old friendships are being tested. But in this time, we Canadians are becoming even more united.“

Thus, a day usually spent on relaxed celebration of the country also became a political manifestation. The clear message from Canadians to Donald Trump was: Canada is proud, independent – and certainly not interested in becoming part of the USA.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.

Viral

See more articles