# Would US troops fire on Canadian civilians? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 8, 2025, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046 "2025-02-08T11:58:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/462 "2025-03-03T20:41:48Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > So wait until Trump has even less popular support (if he’s even still alive then), then invade? Popular support is less important that specific for a specific course of action. Politicians have been using war this way forever, after all. And his support will likely remain pretty steady anyway. EVERYTHING that’s happened you think is hurting his support? His voters love it. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/463 "2025-03-03T20:48:12Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Of course; starting wars _is_ an ancient tactic for trying to increase support for a regime, and to excuse cracking down on dissenters. I think you need to attack someone the public actually perceives as an enemy. You’re theorizing that attacking Canada would make Trump _more_ popular?! > [@RickJay](#): > > Popular support is less important that specific for a specific course of action. Sorry, don’t know what you mean by this. > [@](#): > > Politicians have been using war this way forever, after all. What I said to [Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs). It’s not an automatic thing. > [@](#): > > And his support will likely remain pretty steady anyway. EVERYTHING that’s happened you think is hurting his support? His voters love it. His approval ratings are in the toilet, and GOP pols are getting booed and shouted down at their town halls. Things are not going well for Trump right now. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/464 "2025-03-03T20:51:55Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > His approval ratings are in the toilet That is false. According to 538 he’s at 46.5 approval, 48 disapproval, a fairly normal post-election sag, and basically in line with where he has been for some time. In fact, better than his ratings ON ELECTION DAY. Here you go. > **[Donald Trump : Favorability Polls](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/favorability/donald-trump/)** > > The latest political polls and polling averages from FiveThirtyEight. How is this “in the toilet” when it’s not going down? ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/465 "2025-03-03T21:47:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > How is this “in the toilet” when it’s not going down? I stand corrected. It’s not _good_, especially compared to where certain past presidents were in their “honeymoon” period. Americans’ thoughts about the economy and tariffs in particular are negative: > **[Most Americans say economy is getting worse but Republican views do backflip](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/27/trump-economy-poll)** > > Harris poll finds 51% of Americans think US economy is worsening with views on Trump tariffs split on party lines ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/466 "2025-03-03T21:54:26Z")
These guys didn’t want to stand outside in the Washington Mall since Inauguration Day was too cold. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/467 "2025-03-04T01:12:48Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > These guys didn’t want to stand outside in the Washington Mall They didn’t want the Inauguration outside because they were scared of the visuals when attendance was pitiful compared to Biden and Obama’s. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/468 "2025-03-04T01:20:24Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Americans’ thoughts about the economy and tariffs in particular are negative That’s the thing that kills me about the modern US electorate. When you poll them on specific issues, Trump and MAGA lose almost every time, and by large margins. But that doesn’t translate into actual support for Trump or MAGA. There’s just a huge disconnect here. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/469 "2025-03-04T02:20:44Z")
Tribalism & disinformation mean they have no accurate data and also have no way to process whatever data they have. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/470 "2025-03-04T06:55:05Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > I think you need to attack someone the public actually perceives as an enemy. You’re theorizing that attacking Canada would make Trump _more_ popular?! First, again, Canada has a reputation of being full of “liberals” which makes them literally Satanic pedophiles. Trump could carpet bomb Canada with nukes and his followers would just consider it the extermination of vermin. _Evil_ vermin. And it doesn’t matter if it would _actually_ make Trump more population, both because American democracy is being destroyed and because Trump and company will _think_ it will. And it _would_ make him and them popular with their own supporters, especially if a lot of atrocities and mass destruction happen during the conquest. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/471 "2025-03-04T07:28:20Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > First, again, Canada has a reputation of being full of “liberals” which makes them literally Satanic pedophiles. The fact that you keep saying that over and over again doesn’t make it true. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/472 "2025-03-04T07:35:34Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The fact that you keep saying that over and over again doesn’t make it true. _Have_ you been reading or watching the news over the last few _decades?_ Because that’s exactly what is believed. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/473 "2025-03-04T08:06:04Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > First, again, Canada has a reputation of being full of “liberals” … Maybe we should rename our major political parties something other than, “The Liberal Party of Canada,” and “The Conservative Party of Canada.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/474 "2025-03-04T17:11:34Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The fact that you keep saying that over and over again doesn’t make it true. That is in fact a fairly common opinion among Trumpists. Or varieties of it, such that Canada is a Communist dictatorship. Millions and millions of your fellow Americans believe this stuff. Trump and his cabinet members keep saying they’re going to annex Canada. I do not understand why you’re denying this. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/475 "2025-03-04T18:15:12Z")
In this case, more Republicans are positive about the economy, since they need to justify their choice in their own minds (to be fair, some negativity on the part of Democrats could be based on negativity towards Trump). As for a general disconnect, I think it’s about worshiping a man and a brand and less about specific issues. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/476 "2025-03-04T20:07:23Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Trump and his cabinet members keep saying they’re going to annex Canada. When have they said they’re “going to annex Canada”? Be specific. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/477 "2025-03-04T20:23:56Z")
Almost every time Trump opens his mouth he talks of annexing Canada. What POSSIBLE other interpretation do to have for his 51st state references? His open talk of acquiring Canada? His staff’s agreement with these plans when questioned? Is he drunk? High? Is EVERYONE drunk and high? At some point we must stop the willful blindness. Whatever coping mechanism Yanks are using is not for us. I remember this hilarious cowardly backpedal a few weeks ago from White House staff after meeting all the Premiers: [I never said we were not serious about annexing Canada!](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/premiers-meeting-white-house-1.7457396) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/478 "2025-03-04T20:34:59Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > Almost every time Trump opens his mouth he talks of annexing Canada. Then it should be easy to provide a quote of him saying “we’re going to annex Canada”. Feel free. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/479 "2025-03-04T20:42:35Z")
What is your interpretation [of the first ~30 seconds](https://youtu.be/VVoGfffS2pI) here? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/480 "2025-03-04T20:50:08Z")
“Canada should join the US” != “We will invade and conquer Canada and make it part of the US whether they like it or not”. “Trump wants to invade Canada” is a strawman. He doesn’t operate like that. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046/481 "2025-03-04T20:54:27Z")
Would you spend a minute of your time trying to convince a woman that her aggressively, pursuant neighbour isn’t “really” dangerous to her. In fact, to think so is a strawman. No. You would not. Canadians do NOT need to be generous to Trump. We own him NOTHING. ETA: In fact, I’m going to continue preaching that Trump is a highly dangerous, felon, fascist, and America should be treated as a pariah until they sort out their political theatre of INSANITY. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-us-troops-fire-on-canadian-civilians/1014046.md?page=25)