US President-elect Donald Trump sparked controversy on Wednesday by suggesting it would be “a great idea” for Canada to become the 51st state, claiming that “many Canadians” would welcome the notion. Trump made the comment on his Truth Social account, saying, “Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”
This is not the first time Trump has raised the idea, which some critics find distasteful, especially following the recent resignation of Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. A survey conducted by Leger this week found that 13 percent of Canadians are in favor of the idea. In late November, Trump also joked about the prospect with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, reportedly provoking laughter among attendees.
Trump’s comments centered on several issues he claims could be resolved by merging the two countries, such as fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration. These topics are especially pertinent to Trump’s concerns regarding the US southern border. However, many in Canada viewed his remarks as a form of ridicule, with some describing them as humiliating and a veiled threat.
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Since the dinner, Trump has continued to refer to Trudeau as “the governor of Canada” in social media posts, further fueling tension. The timing of these remarks has raised concerns in Ottawa, particularly in light of the ongoing political instability following Freeland’s departure, which has led to calls for Trudeau to step down.
Political analysts have been quick to respond. Former Trudeau advisor Gerald Butts likened Trump to “a boxer working a cut” on social media. Meanwhile, University of British Columbia politics professor Max Cameron dismissed the idea of Canada joining the United States, stating, “Nothing could be a greater impediment to Canada more closely integrating with the United States than Donald Trump in office.”
Stephanie Chouinard, a professor at Queen’s University, suggested that Trump was capitalizing on Canada’s political chaos to further antagonize Trudeau. Despite the tensions, Canadian officials, including Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, have emphasized that discussions with Trump’s team remain productive.
In response to Trump’s persistent jabs, LeBlanc and Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced new border security and immigration measures, including the hiring of additional police officers and aligning Canada’s asylum system more closely with that of the United States. Ottawa has also proposed creating a joint Canada-US “strike force” to combat transnational crime.
Trump also claimed that the US subsidizes Canada by over $1 billion annually, although the figure he cited remains unclear. According to US data from 2022, the trade deficit with Canada was $53.5 billion, a number that most economists consider negligible in the context of the $909 billion worth of goods and services traded between the two countries.
Julien Martin, an economics professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, explained that trade deficits are viewed negatively by many Republicans under Trump, who argue they contribute to job losses and a decline in manufacturing.
