Fewer than two-in-five (38%, -4 since January) approve of Donald Trump’s performance as president.
Vancouver, BC [June 15, 2026] – As the United States, Canada and Mexico host the FIFA World Cup, few Americans would change their relationship with the two other North American nations, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, more than three-in-five Americans (63%, down three points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in January) think Canada should remain an independent nation, while 15% (+5) would like to see it become a U.S. territory and 7% (=) would welcome it as an American state.
The views of Americans are similar when pondering Mexico, with 68% (+1) saying it should remain independent, 11% (+1) suggesting it should become a U.S. territory and 5% (=) claiming it should become an American state.
At least half of Americans also think Panama (50%, -4) and Cuba (58%, +1) should stay independent, and a similar proportion (54%, -2) want Greenland to remain an autonomous territory.
Americans are twice as likely to say that Puerto Rico should become an independent nation (28%, -4) than an American state (14%, -3), but more than two-in-five (41%, -2) want it to maintain its status as a U.S. territory.
Across the United States, the approval rating for President Donald Trump stands at 38% (-4 since January), with 57% of Americans (+4) disapproving of his performance.
While 84% of Republicans approve of the way Trump is managing his duties, the proportion is significantly lower among Independents (25%) and Democrats (14%).
The Democratic Party holds a five-point lead over the Republican Party in the race for the House of Representatives (38% to 33%). Fewer than one-in-ten Americans (8%) say they would vote for other candidates and 22% are undecided.
The survey also asked Americans about prospective presidential candidates for each of the two major parties in the 2028 election.
Only six of the names tested are regarded as “good choices” for the Republican Party by more than one-in-five Americans: U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance (31%), Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (29%), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (28%), Texas Senator Ted Cruz (25%), the current president’s son Donald Trump Jr. (23%) and Florida Governor Ron De Santis (22%).
Fewer Americans think eight other possible contenders would be a “good choice” for the Republican Party: commentator Tucker Carlson (18%), former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (also 18%), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (15%), Texas Governor Greg Abbott (also 15%), Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie (also 15%), Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (13%), former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (also 13%) and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (11%).
Among Republicans, the top choices are Vance (67%), Rubio (54%), Trump Jr. (also 54%), Cruz (48%), Kennedy Jr. (45%) and De Santis (also 45%).
Eight people are regarded as “good choices” to become the Democratic Party’s nominee in 2028: former first lady Michelle Obama (45%), 2024 presidential nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris (35%), California Governor Gavin Newsom (26%), actor George Clooney (25%), New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (24%), former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (23%), Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (also 23%) and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (21%).
Fewer Americans think six other politicians are “good choices” for the Democrats in 2028: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (19%), Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (17%), Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff (also 17%), sports analyst Stephen A. Smith (also 17%), Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (16%) and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel (15%).
Majorities of Democrats think Obama (73%) and Harris (67%) are “good choices”, followed by Newsom (47%), Buttigieg (44%), Ocasio-Cortez (44%) and Kelly (37%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from June 4 to June 6, 2026, among 1,001 adults in the United States. The data has been statistically weighted according to U.S. census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca