Donald Trump: Canada as 51st state is 'a great idea'

United States President-elect Donald Trump is once again taking aim at Canada, saying it would be a “great idea” to make it the “51st state” of the United States.

“No one can explain why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 per year? This makes no sense!” Trump said in a post early Wednesday morning on Truth Social.

“Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state. They would save massively in taxes and military protection. I think it's a great idea. 51st state!!!”

On Wednesday afternoon, former deputy prime minister and Quebec premier Jean Charest hit back at Trump's message, calling it a “wake-up call.”

“Every Canadian, regardless of their opinion of the Prime Minister or their political affiliation, should feel deeply offended by the comments of President Trump,” Charest wrote in a message on X (formerly Twitter).

“For too long, we have been complacent in our relationships with the United States and the rest of the world. We must come together and rise to this historic opportunity to shape Canada's future.”

Insult to injury

Trump's latest social media comments come amid a difficult month for Canada-U.S. relations.

In late November, the president-elect announced plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, a move that shocked Canadian politicians and businesses.

“It’s like having a family member stabbing you in the heart,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said shortly after the tariff threats were announced.

At the end of the month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise trip to Mar-a-lago, Trump's residence and vacation spot in West Palm Beach, Florida, to meet the former and future US president.

News emerged from the meeting that the tariffs did not appear avoidable in the immediate future, but Trudeau was optimistic, posting on social media that he “looked forward to the work we can do together, again “.

But days later, reports surfaced that Trump was talking about a very different type of collaboration.

Rumors quickly circulated that, during dinner, Trump had joked that if the proposed tariffs meant Canada's economy could not survive, then perhaps the country should become the 51st state of the United States .

The rumor was followed by a confusing post from Truth Social on December 3 captioned “Oh Canada!” and depicting Trump next to a Canadian flag, overlooking a rocky vista that appeared to feature the Matterhorn, a mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy.

The president told jokes; the president was teasing us, federal Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc, who attended the Mar-a-lago meeting in early December, told reporters. This was of course, on this issue, in no way a serious comment. »

Others responded more forcefully. A week later, Trudeau spoke of upcoming plans to deal with the impacts of a second Trump term, and Ford went so far as to threaten to cut off his province's U.S. energy supply if tariffs came into force.

Trump's allusions to annexation continued, calling the prime minister “Governor Justin Trudeau of the great state of Canada,” and hours later, Trudeau referred to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' defeat by to Trump during the November election by describing widespread attacks on “women’s rights.” and the progress of women.

“It wasn't supposed to be this way. We were supposed to be on a steady, if sometimes difficult, march toward progress,” Trudeau said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, December 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump ally Elon Musk also entered the fray, speaking to X to call the prime minister “such an insufferable tool” who “won't be in power much longer.”

This week, Trudeau unveiled a five-pillar approach to border security in the new year, including more than $1 billion in funding. The tightening border between Canada and the United States is a key factor in Trump's tariff threats, citing claims of “ridiculously open borders” overwhelmed by illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

This is an important step to show Canadians and our American partners that we share their concerns about border security and integrity, LeBlanc said Tuesday.

We have noted President (elect) Trump's comments. »

What does a subsidy mean?

A common thread in Trump's recent comments is the assertion that the United States subsidizes the Canadian economy “to the tune of more than $100 billion a year,” sometimes written as $100 million.

While it's unclear exactly what Trump is referring to with this figure, a common thorn in the president-elect's side is Canada's trade surplus with the United States on goods, which has increased in recent years, to reach nearly 80 billion US dollars in 2022.

In short, of the hundreds of billions in goods traded between the two countries each year, the majority is typically Canada's exports to the United States, and while that margin varies, it's a complaint Trump is on. income throughout his political career.

“Fair trade must now be called foolish trade if it is not reciprocal,” Trump wrote in a message to X in 2018, amid negotiations for the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). ).

“According to a press release from Canada, they make almost $100 billion in trade with the United States (I guess they were bragging and got caught!)”

Mexico, meanwhile, typically runs an even larger surplus, with US$152 billion in 2023 and almost as much between January and October of this year. Trump claimed that the US “subsidy” to this country was approaching $300 billion.

The president-elect's 2024 agenda pledges to “rebalance trade” under a second Trump administration, citing a total U.S. trade deficit of more than $1 trillion in goods, and noting his intention to institute tariffs, adopt new laws and “respond to unfair trade practices”. “.

With files from Stephanie Ha and Robert Buffam of CTV News, Bryann Aguilar and Joshua Freeman of CP24, Brendan Murray of BNN Bloomberg and The Canadian Press

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