After Canada held its election for a new prime minister, Donald Trump has commented on being a significant topic for the nation.
Since taking office again earlier this year, Trump has explicitly stated his aim of incorporating Canada as the US’ 51st state.
Trump has implemented elevated tariffs on numerous countries worldwide, with China, Mexico, and Canada once being significantly impacted.
However, Trump offered Canada an ‘alternative’ to the heightened taxes — by proposing they become America’s 51st state.
Unsurprisingly, this notion has been poorly received by Canadians, with former prime minister Justin Trudeau openly criticizing the proposal even before Canada engaged in a tariff conflict with the United States.
Speaking in January, Trudeau noted, according to BBC News: “I know as a successful negotiator he likes to keep people off balance. The 51st state, it’s not going to happen.”
Newly-elected prime minister Mark Carney has shared similar views in a strong statement directed at Trump.
“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country — never,” Carney stated.
“But these are not these are not idle threats, President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, that will never ever happen. But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed.”
Recently, as Trump marked his 100th day back in office, he engaged in an interview with ABC News journalist Terry Moran. During this somewhat disorganized discussion, the president remarked that the reporter wasn’t ‘being nice’ to him.
Moran questioned Trump about his role as a ‘big issue’ in the recent Canadian election and the outrage sparked by his suggestion of Canada becoming the 51st state.
He said: “Many of them are really angry, furious, about your talk about we’re going to take over Canada and it’s going to become the 51st state.”
Trump nonchalantly responded: “That’s their prerogative.”
Moran further mentioned that there has been ‘reputational damage’ to the US, impacting the country’s tourism rates.
“The country’s doing great,” Trump maintained. “Prices are down, gasoline’s down, energy is down, tourism is going to be way up when you see the numbers.”
Despite Moran pointing out that tourism has actually suffered, Trump reiterated that America is ‘doing very well’.
The interview concluded on a negative note, with Trump asserting that ABC News is ‘one of the worst’.