Americans can't get enough of Trudeau - but his Canadian approval ratings are tumbling

Trudeaumania has officially engulfed the US, but the Canadian prime minister's approval ratings have tumbled to their lowest since he took office 16 months ago.

Four in 10 Americans would prefer to have Justin Trudeau be the US president instead of Donald Trump, an Ipsos poll found.

The Canadian leader's welcoming approach to refugees, advocacy for women's rights, and campaign promise of marijuana decriminalization have been major factors in his popularity both back home and abroad.

In some ways, Trudeau's charm and impressive campaigning skills have earned him a sort of celebrity status in the US.

Buzzfeed published an entire article about a photo of Trudeau wearing tight pants, and a slideshow comprised entirely of "hot" pics:

Cooling off up north

But in Canada, the initial honeymoon period of mobbing to take selfies with the prime minister is clearly over.

A Forum Research poll found that only 48% of Canadians approved of how Trudeau is leading the country. Approval ratings, though still high compared to past prime ministers, are at their lowest point since Trudeau took office in November 2015.

Trudeau has faced criticism for supporting oil pipeline expansion, going ahead with a controversial plan to supply military vehicles to Saudi Arabia and, recently, taking a luxurious vacation on a billionaire's private island.

Canadian media critic Jesse Brown wrote in an article titled "Think Canada is a progressive paradise? That's mooseshit," for The Guardian that "Trudeau is the political equivalent of a YouTube puppy video," and the country has many more problems to solve than its leader's US popularity suggests.

While liberal Americans continue to exalt the Canadian prime minister for his progressive values - or, in some cases, simply for his good looks - Canadians aren't all convinced.