President Donald Trump Serious About Making Canada the 51st U.S. State
In a recent interview with Fox News, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he is serious about the possibility of making Canada the 51st state of the United States. When asked whether the idea of merging with Canada was genuine, Trump confirmed, “Yes, absolutely.”
President Trump explained that making Canada the 51st state would be beneficial for both countries, particularly in terms of trade. He mentioned that the U.S. currently suffers a $200 billion annual trade deficit with Canada, and he vowed to put an end to this imbalance. He added, “Why are we giving Canada $200 billion every year? It’s essentially a subsidy.”
The U.S. imports various goods from Canada, including oil and natural resources, and in recent years, the trade deficit between the two countries has grown to $72 billion. Experts suggest that the trade gap is primarily due to U.S. imports of energy from Canada.
In response to Trump’s statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked that Trump was serious about the matter. According to Canada’s state broadcaster CBC, a private conversation between Trudeau and business and labor union leaders was accidentally broadcast through a loudspeaker on Friday. During the conversation, Trudeau mentioned that Trump is aware of Canada’s mineral resources and wants to take advantage of them.
Earlier, while traveling to the Super Bowl event on Air Force One, Trump spoke with reporters and pointed out that Canada does not spend much on its military, believing that the U.S. would continue to provide protection. He also expressed dissatisfaction with Canada and Mexico for not taking sufficient steps to address tariffs.
Trump had previously imposed a 25% tariff on imports from major U.S. trading partners, including Canada and Mexico, and announced a 10% tax on oil imports from Canada. However, he later deferred this tax for 30 days. Trump’s actions were intended to apply pressure on these countries to curb illegal immigration and stop the smuggling of fentanyl, a dangerous drug, into the U.S.
