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 SA国际影视传媒渢he 51st state.SA国际影视传媒�

While TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 comments have drawn anger and fear among Canadians, reaction from Americans who live, study or work in Canada has been mixed SA国际影视传媒� 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 SA国际影视传媒渆xtremelySA国际影视传媒� disappointed by the president-electSA国际影视传媒檚 approach to his countrySA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渃losestSA国际影视传媒� ally.

SA国际影视传媒淎s an American living in Canada, it is really sad to watch,SA国际影视传媒� said Wesoky, who voted for TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 rival Kamala Harris.

But Canadian American Georganne Burke, a staunch Trump supporter, said that while the incoming president may be SA国际影视传媒渁 bit of a troll,SA国际影视传媒� she doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 see his actions as harmful to Canada.

SA国际影视传媒淗eSA国际影视传媒檚 not asking for anything unreasonable,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 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 SA国际影视传媒搖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 SA国际影视传媒済overnorSA国际影视传媒� of the SA国际影视传媒済reat state of CanadaSA国际影视传媒� in social media posts.

The prime ministerSA国际影视传媒檚 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 SA国际影视传媒渕any people in Canada LOVE being the 51st state.SA国际影视传媒�

What started out as an apparent joke took another turn Tuesday when Trump threatened to use SA国际影视传媒渆conomic forceSA国际影视传媒� to make Canada the next U.S. state and reiterated his tariff promise at a news conference in Florida. Trudeau responded by saying there SA国际影视传媒渋snSA国际影视传媒檛 a snowballSA国际影视传媒檚 chance in hellSA国际影视传媒� 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 TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 latest declaration that Canadians shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 worry about his return to the White House.

Burke said Trump SA国际影视传媒渋snSA国际影视传媒檛 anti-CanadaSA国际影视传媒� but he has good reasons to be SA国际影视传媒渧ery worriedSA国际影视传媒� about the threat of what she called SA国际影视传媒渢errorismSA国际影视传媒� along the border and CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 failure to meet NATOSA国际影视传媒檚 military spending benchmark.

SA国际影视传媒淗eSA国际影视传媒檚 saying: you know what, timeSA国际影视传媒檚 up, the U.S. is not going be the ATM anymore for anybody, not Canada, not anybody else,SA国际影视传媒� the Ontario resident said.

SA国际影视传媒淗eSA国际影视传媒檚 a bit of a troll, whether people like it or not, people may say, oh, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 not presidential or whatever, but thatSA国际影视传媒檚 just the way he is.SA国际影视传媒�

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 TrudeauSA国际影视传媒檚 departure.

Renna Bassal, a longtime Trump supporter and an American who moved to Canada about five decades ago, said last week that TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 remarks about annexing Canada had been a joke aimed at disrespecting and taunting Trudeau SA国际影视传媒� not Canada as a nation.

The Montreal resident said she isnSA国际影视传媒檛 sure Trump will make good on his tariff threats, and believes the heavy-handed approach he has adopted is a SA国际影视传媒渂argaining chipSA国际影视传媒� ahead of expected trade negotiations between the two countries.

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

SA国际影视传媒淪ometimes, you know, he says things that perhaps he shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 say, and ISA国际影视传媒檓 hoping that this will be one of those instances where heSA国际影视传媒檚 not going to follow through on (tariffs),SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t would be extremely unfortunate, and I certainly hope that this doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 happen.SA国际影视传媒�

Wesoky, the political science student involved with Democrats Abroad Canada, said TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 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.

SA国际影视传媒淪o this rhetoric that really goes against this relationship that is built on trust and respect SA国际影视传媒� I think is not only dangerous, but itSA国际影视传媒檒l be detrimental to the U.S economy,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Wesoky said he isnSA国际影视传媒檛 sure that TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 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-electSA国际影视传媒檚 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 TrumpSA国际影视传媒檚 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.

SA国际影视传媒淗e thinks heSA国际影视传媒檚 throwing them off balance and that gives him some kind of an edge,SA国际影视传媒� 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.

SA国际影视传媒淭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,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 just his style of doing things, so I wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 take it too seriously.SA国际影视传媒�