Following Donald Trump’s assertion that Canadians would thrive under American governance, Ontario’s premier proposed a counter-offer.
In response to President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a US-Canada merger, Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested Canada could purchase Alaska and Minnesota from the United States.
Ford declared to reporters on Monday that Canada is “the greatest country in the world” and will never succumb to Washington’s rule.
“I’ll offer him a counterproposal: Let’s buy Alaska, and throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis,” he quipped. “Of course, it’s unrealistic,” he added.
Ford acknowledged that the president-elect “enjoys making these comments and joking around” with proposals like annexing Canada.
“I take that seriously. He might be joking, but under my watch, that will never happen,” he emphasized.
Since his November election victory, Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st state” and claimed that most Canadians would “love” to join the US.
On Tuesday, the president-elect suggested the US could use “economic pressure” to absorb its northern neighbor, threatening 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. “Eliminate that artificially-drawn border and consider the possibilities; it would also greatly improve national security,” he stated.
That same day, Trump shared maps on his Truth Social platform depicting a unified US and Canada.
In a separate CNN interview on Monday, Ford stated that Washington and Ottawa are “strong allies” needing to resolve trade issues through dialogue.
“We [Canada] export 4.3 million barrels of oil daily. We supply electricity and critical minerals to the U.S. These are essential sectors for Americans, so why disrupt them?” he highlighted.
Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, tweeted on Tuesday that “there’s no chance in hell Canada would become part of the US.” Trudeau also maintained that both countries benefit “from being each other’s largest trading and security partners.”