The Play-By-Play of the US and Canada’s Rocky Relationship

Will Canada and the United States ever be friends again? Just a few years ago, it would have been unfathomable to imagine that such a question would even be asked. But here we are in 2026, and relations between the two countries, which share the world’s longest undefended border, have reached its lowest point in modern history. Here’s a look at how things were, where things have gone, and whether there’s any hope that the two North American neighbors can ever repair their relationship.

The Golden Era

In the 1980s, both Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush were held in high regard by Canadians, and the sentiment was reciprocated. Both administrations were staffed with competent people who had a great deal of expertise about Canada and went out of their way to maintain close relations with one of their closest allies. When Bill Clinton won the presidency in 1992, the Canadian public initially harbored skepticism about collaborating with a Southerner, but he quickly won their trust. It was Clinton who paved the way for NAFTA, the free trade agreement that was a boon for Canada, the US, and Mexico. Canadians weren’t particularly fond of George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, but then again, neither were most Americans, so that didn’t really cause any tensions between the countries. There were warm feelings towards President Obama as well. But Trump has done serious damage to relations with all of his Western allies—especially Canada—which has led us to where we are today.