Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump has been courting controversy in Canada since his election victory, with threats to impose whopping tariffs on Canadian goods and musings about the country becoming B次元官网网址渢he 51st state.B次元官网网址�

While TrumpB次元官网网址檚 comments have drawn anger and fear among Canadians, reaction from Americans who live, study or work in Canada has been mixed B次元官网网址� and largely influenced by how they voted in the presidential election.

Jacob Wesoky, the executive vice chair of Democrats Abroad Canada who is studying political science at McGill University in Montreal, said he is B次元官网网址渆xtremelyB次元官网网址� disappointed by the president-electB次元官网网址檚 approach to his countryB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渃losestB次元官网网址� ally.

B次元官网网址淎s an American living in Canada, it is really sad to watch,B次元官网网址� said Wesoky, who voted for TrumpB次元官网网址檚 rival Kamala Harris.

But Canadian American Georganne Burke, a staunch Trump supporter, said that while the incoming president may be B次元官网网址渁 bit of a troll,B次元官网网址� she doesnB次元官网网址檛 see his actions as harmful to Canada.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 not asking for anything unreasonable,B次元官网网址� she said.

TrumpB次元官网网址檚 first shot at Canada came in November, when he said he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican imports as soon as he returns to the White House on Jan. 20 B次元官网网址搖nless the two countries improve security along their borders with the U.S.

After outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Trump in Florida to discuss the tariff threat, the president-elect started pitching the idea of Canada becoming the next U.S. state, trolling Trudeau by calling him B次元官网网址済overnorB次元官网网址� of the B次元官网网址済reat state of CanadaB次元官网网址� in social media posts.

The prime ministerB次元官网网址檚 announcement Monday that he would step down after the Liberal party elects a new leader only seemed to further embolden Trump, who claimed on his Truth Social platform that B次元官网网址渕any people in Canada LOVE being the 51st state.B次元官网网址�

What started out as an apparent joke took another turn Tuesday when Trump threatened to use B次元官网网址渆conomic forceB次元官网网址� to make Canada the next U.S. state and reiterated his tariff promise at a news conference in Florida. Trudeau responded by saying there B次元官网网址渋snB次元官网网址檛 a snowballB次元官网网址檚 chance in hellB次元官网网址� that Canada would become part of the United States.

Canada is home to more than a million Americans, including visitors on long-term visas and dual citizens, according to estimates from the Association of Americans Resident Overseas. Among them are many Republicans who voted for Trump, and who said in the days before TrumpB次元官网网址檚 latest declaration that Canadians shouldnB次元官网网址檛 worry about his return to the White House.

Burke said Trump B次元官网网址渋snB次元官网网址檛 anti-CanadaB次元官网网址� but he has good reasons to be B次元官网网址渧ery worriedB次元官网网址� about the threat of what she called B次元官网网址渢errorismB次元官网网址� along the border and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 failure to meet NATOB次元官网网址檚 military spending benchmark.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 saying: you know what, timeB次元官网网址檚 up, the U.S. is not going be the ATM anymore for anybody, not Canada, not anybody else,B次元官网网址� the Ontario resident said.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a bit of a troll, whether people like it or not, people may say, oh, thatB次元官网网址檚 not presidential or whatever, but thatB次元官网网址檚 just the way he is.B次元官网网址�

The federal government announced last month that it would invest $1.3 billion to strengthen border security. Burke said the results of that pledge might encourage Trump to delay the tariffs and wait to negotiate details with the next Canadian government after TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 departure.

Renna Bassal, a longtime Trump supporter and an American who moved to Canada about five decades ago, said last week that TrumpB次元官网网址檚 remarks about annexing Canada had been a joke aimed at disrespecting and taunting Trudeau B次元官网网址� not Canada as a nation.

The Montreal resident said she isnB次元官网网址檛 sure Trump will make good on his tariff threats, and believes the heavy-handed approach he has adopted is a B次元官网网址渂argaining chipB次元官网网址� ahead of expected trade negotiations between the two countries.

She said she remains optimistic about U.S.-Canada relations.

B次元官网网址淪ometimes, you know, he says things that perhaps he shouldnB次元官网网址檛 say, and IB次元官网网址檓 hoping that this will be one of those instances where heB次元官网网址檚 not going to follow through on (tariffs),B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t would be extremely unfortunate, and I certainly hope that this doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen.B次元官网网址�

Wesoky, the political science student involved with Democrats Abroad Canada, said TrumpB次元官网网址檚 tariffs would not only increase the cost of living in the United States, but also harm American consumers and businesses as much as they would hurt the Canadian economy.

B次元官网网址淪o this rhetoric that really goes against this relationship that is built on trust and respect B次元官网网址� I think is not only dangerous, but itB次元官网网址檒l be detrimental to the U.S economy,B次元官网网址� he said.

Wesoky said he isnB次元官网网址檛 sure that TrumpB次元官网网址檚 concerns about Canadian border security are legitimate but even if they were, the issue should be handled through negotiations and collaboration.

Before Trump escalated his annexation rhetoric on Tuesday, Ottawa had largely taken a measured approach to the president-electB次元官网网址檚 bluster.

And that might be the best strategy, said Mark R. Brawley, an American Canadian professor of international relations at McGill University.

Instead, Brawley suggested Ottawa could target specific U.S. congressional districts with reciprocal tariffs to trigger opposition to TrumpB次元官网网址檚 plans from senators and representatives in those areas.

Brawley, who became a Canadian citizen last year after living in the country for almost 35 years, said Trump sees the people he is negotiating with as opponents, not partners, and believes making outrageous remarks about them gives him an advantage.

B次元官网网址淗e thinks heB次元官网网址檚 throwing them off balance and that gives him some kind of an edge,B次元官网网址� he said.

Trump has a habit of exaggerating problems so that he can take credit once they are resolved, Brawley said, and his stance on security at the U.S.-Canada border could be one example of that.

B次元官网网址淭he whole idea that Canada would be a single state in the U.S. or that the U.S. wants Canada to be a state is kind of preposterous,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just his style of doing things, so I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 take it too seriously.B次元官网网址�