First Greenland, now also Canada: US President-elect Donald Trump is not yet in office, but is already toying with expanding his country. On his Truth Social platform, Trump recently fantasized about the benefits of incorporating Canada.
If the country became the 51st state of the United States, “there would be no tariffs, taxes would be significantly reduced, and they (Canadians) would be completely safe from the threat of Russian and Chinese ships that constantly surround them,” Trump said. Together with the USA we could become a “great nation”.
This doesn’t convince Canadians at all.
Canada categorically rejects Trump’s ideas
There is “not the slightest chance that Canada will become part of the United States,” said outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the online service X on Tuesday, referring to the close bilateral security and trade relations between the two countries. “The probability of Canada becoming part of the United States is less than that of a snowball in hell.”
There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.< br>
Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 7, 2025
Workers and the public in both countries would benefit from both societies being each other’s most important trade and security partners.
Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly accused Donald Trump of a lack of understanding. His idea clearly shows that the future US president completely misunderstands what Canada is all about. “Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never give in to threats,” said Joly.
Trump threatens Canada with “economic violence”
Trump flirted with his idea again at a press conference on Tuesday. “I love the Canadian people,” he said. “They’re wonderful, but we spend hundreds of billions every year to protect them,” Trump said – without specifying what that amount referred to.
“Canada and the United States, that would really be something,” said the future president. “You would get rid of this artificially drawn line and look at what that looks like. And it would also be much better for national security.” At the end of November, Trump announced that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada.
When asked whether he would use military force, Trump replied at a press conference at his private Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida: “No, economic force.” Unlike the Panama Canal or Greenland, he ruled out the use of US military forces.
