Americans Are Exposing Their Honest Thoughts About Canada After Donald Trump Threatened To Make It The US's 51st State
The US and Canada have always been friendly neighbours. But as of recent, things have become a bit tense between our two countries — we've all noticed the vibe change, and it's uncomfy.
It all started when Donald Trump threatened to make Canada the 51st State of America, which kinda offended many of us (including our political leaders). And then there's all the tariffs potentially being imposed, which has brought even MORE tension.
And we've discussed Canadians' thoughts on the whole thing. But TBH, I've been dying to know how AMERICANS feel. Do they hate us, and wish we were the 51st State? Do they feel bad for us? What the heck do Americans think of when someone says "Canada"? Today, we're gonna find out.
Coming to us from good ol' Reddit, here are some of the top responses to the question: "Americans: in light of the current political climate between our countries, how do you guys actually feel about us Canadians?"
1. "The people of Canada (or Russia, or China, etc.) and the people of the US are friends. We can't let them make us think otherwise."
— bubbapora
2. "I love Canadians more than my own countrymen currently — even those I served and fought with. Having served and fought with some great ones while in Afghanistan, I have a great respect for them both on the battlefield and off. It was a Canadian unit who helped me and my brothers when I was pinned down and asking for help. Two of them ran directly through enemy fire to get to us."
"The horrible part is, one former brother loves the idea of taking over Canada. The sad part is, he was beyond words with joy when they came to our rescue. The irony hurts, truly."
— Warm_Put7516
3. "I've never had a bad interaction with Canadians, nor have I seen representations of your countrymen be denigrating to my countrymen (until some Americans decided to start hating on you). When our national anthem cut out in your stadiums, you would stand up and sing it because of our near-familial relationship. When we asked the world to aid us after 9/11, you were right there beside us. My great-grandfather enlisted to fight in WWI with you guys (once it was legal for Americans to do so) and you accepted him, honored him, and kept his records safe so that I, or some other family member of mine, could find them."
"In short. I've always considered us to be brothers/sisters fighting the good fight together. I despise this useless trade war nonsense. We're allies, not adversaries; or at least we ought be."
— ColmanRetro
4. "Canadians are good people who don't deserve our shit. That said, get your fucking geese under control."
— Sno_Wolf
Can't argue with that one.
6. "Most Americans think positively about Canadians. This whole '51st State' stuff is just so embarrassing."
— SteveFoerster
7. "This is 100% just a Trump thing. Nobody else actually feels even an OUNCE of animosity towards Canada; in fact, it's entirely the opposite. We see you as our dearest friends and closest allies. Traveling anywhere else in the world feels like an exotic adventure, while visiting you (albeit very exciting and adventurous still) is like going to your cousin's house."
— Curiouswanderer888
8. "I see a lot of post with 'X nationality mad at Y nationality.' No, it's the government (and a selected bunch of the citizens). Besides a small group of people, most of the citizens are just trying to live and go about their daily lives. Many are as much a victim of the government as the countries their government is fighting with. The government gains more power if they make us think the people are at odds and not just the government."
"Canadians are absolutely allowed to be mad at Trump and his merry band of supporters. Just like people can be mad at Putin and his ilk. But the everyday person is just trying to live and hold no hard feelings.
As an American, I hold no negativity towards Canadians, just like I hold no negativity towards the average Russian, North Korean, or Chinese citizen. We're all just humans trying to survive (especially those of us with questionable leadership)."
— TranslucentKittens
9. "I think most everyone here loves and respects our neighbors to the north. You've not only been great trading partners and allies, but you've given us a lot of great shows."
"Moreover, anyone who knows anything about history knows we really don't want to fight you."
— Applepoisoneer
10. "I feel we love Canada no less than we did a month ago."
"Our country has gone insane. That's the only way I can put it. The total abandon of reasoning skills is baffling. The lack of consideration for big-picture consequences is asinine.
Everyone that I have discussed this with is frankly embarrassed and baffled. Why the fuck would we ever want to harm Canada? A lot of us are pissed off, but not entirely sure what can be done to stop this shit-show."
TL;DR: Sorry."
11. "Honestly, and this isn't a dig...I don't think about Canadians at all, ever. From what I can tell, you're just there up north being chill and hanging out with moose."
— darthrater78
12. "I was out in NYC and all my friends left the bar. Met a group of visiting Canadians who welcomed me into their squad and we vibed and danced for a few hours. Bought each other drinks and, when I was leaving, they gave me a $5 Canadian bill. Definitely confirmed my prior notion of Canadians."
"Another time, I spent two weeks on a nature reserve in Canada, and it was one of the best times of my life. Even without those experiences, I respect and trust Canadians and think Trump is a dumb-fuck for messing with our dynamic.
I don't want you guys to be another state of the US — I want y'all to be our friendly allies to the North. I hate that you guys (rightfully) need to be skeptical and wary of the US because of this bullshit."
— Frrv2112
13. "Y'all made the Red Green Show. We are in your debt. You must be protected from us at all costs."
— Karohalva
CBC / Via giphy.com
15. "It's like being a kid and witnessing your father in a drunk stupor trying to fight your best friend's dad. It's embarrassing and horrible."
"I've always thought that Canada was so great. I hate what our 'leader' is trying to do to them.
— Friendly_Sea_4848
16. "I love Canada. I live right across the border, have Nexus and pre-Trump would go up all the time. I haven't gone since — worried about driving with an American license plate."
"I follow the r/Vancouver subreddit. I know how justifiably angry people are. My friend has dual citizenship, was born there, and has been worried about driving with American plates too. She said we need a sticker that signals to Canadians that we didn't vote for him, but also doesn't make MAGA people also target us.
I really do love Canada. I have family there and Vancouver is like a second home. I'm sad that our parking lots are not full of Canadians anymore, and it's going to be a long four years."
— Growling_Guppy
17. "I feel embarrassed. I'm proud you're standing up to us and hope your country continues to do so. I'm sorry my country is trying to bully yours when you have always been our good friend."
– itsirtou
18. "I believe the whole Canadian tariff and 51st State thing is a false flag to cause outrage and distract us all from the actual crimes and destruction of our democracy. It's a coup, folks, and nobody is stopping them."
— Motomegal
19. "Nothing has made me feel more sane RN than going on the r/BuyCanadian subreddit and seeing so many people unanimously come together to stand against Trump in such a powerful and effective way."
"As an American, it starts to get so hard, because you don't know what's true anymore. I don't trust my social media feeds, and I certainly do not trust the news feed anymore.
Our government officials on every side of the aisle are not doing a whole lot to actually impact what's going on, and our attempts as a people have been strong, but the war is won in the newspaper. But damn, going on Canadian subreddits and seeing a resounding 'fuck Trump/America' mantra was so comforting."
— ageminithatcooks
20. "We think you've been the best neighbors and don't deserve any of this. It's so confusing and scary and no American wants any of this to unfold. We love you and we're so so sorry."
"Whatever we can do to stop him from furthering this talk, we will!"
— EconomyAd8866
21. "Can we become the 11th province? I would even take the fourth territory. We have proven we cannot be on our own."
— spicyeyeballs
TBH, I'd be down.
And if you feel like supporting Canada, hey, why not follow BuzzFeed Canada on TikTok and Instagram for more? 🇨🇦
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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