Donald Trump has taken another swipe at Canada, proposing to make the neighbouring nation a US state as Justin Trudeau announced his impending resignation as the country’s prime minister.
On Monday, Trudeau announced he would step down as Liberal Party leader and Canadian prime minister after nearly a decade in power. The prospect of a tariff war with the US was one of the problems facing the Canadian politician, who is the latest incumbent to be forced out globally amid voter dissatisfaction with the cost-of-living crisis.
Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports when he takes office later this month.
In a post on Truth Social following Trudeau’s announcement, Trump began with what appeared to be a deliberately provocative statement: “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State.”
The US president-elect then referenced the trade deficit between the two countries that he claimed “Canada needs to stay afloat.”
“Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned,” he said.
Trump continued, “If Canada merged with the US, there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”
Few are taking Trump’s US-Canada “merger” proposal seriously. But that hasn’t stopped Trump from saying on multiple occasions that Canada should be part of the US.
As Trump and Trudeau squared off over tariffs, Trump reportedly suggested late last year during a face-to-face meeting that Canada could become America’s 51st state.
He went on to make the idea public in a series of Truth Social posts, taking jabs at Trudeau by calling him the “Governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”
In December, Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, resigned and accused Trudeau of not taking Trump’s tariff threats seriously.
On Monday, Trudeau cited “internal battles” as he addressed some of his critics, adding that Parliament has “entirely been seized by obstruction and filibustering and a total lack of productivity over the past few months.”
He said he plans to stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party is chosen.