The US president has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of annexing Canada.
President Trump has again asserted his seriousness regarding the United States potentially annexing Canada.
This declaration occurs amidst ongoing trade tensions between the two countries, following previous statements by Trump suggesting Canada would benefit from becoming the 51st US state.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump repeated his earlier claims that the US is subsidizing Canada with hundreds of billions of dollars annually, alleging a significant trade imbalance.
“It costs us $200 billion a year in subsidy to keep Canada afloat,” he said, adding that the US doesn’t require Canadian goods like cars, timber, and energy.
“When I say they should be a state, I mean that. I really mean that.”
Canada’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau last week, has firmly rejected any possibility of Canada joining the United States.
“We will never, ever, in any way, shape, or form, be part of the United States,” Carney declared after his inauguration. He argued that both Canada’s national identity and “the economics” render Trump’s proposal unfeasible.
The former central banker pledged to win the trade dispute with the US, emphasizing the need for Canada to strengthen its economy and seek alternative trading partners.
Last week, Canada imposed tariffs of 25% on almost $30 billion worth of US imports in response to the 25% tariffs announced by Trump. The US president backtracked on imposing 50% tariffs last week after Canada reversed plans to increase them on American energy imports by a quarter.
Ottawa is prepared to discuss the trade war with Washington, “when Canada is shown respect as a sovereign nation,” Carney emphasized in a statement on Thursday.
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