Donald Trump Claims ‘Nasty’ Canada is Destined to Become the 51st State

Former President Donald Trump has once again expressed his desire for Canada to be the 51st state of the United States.

In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump referred to the team that worked for Canada’s ex-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “nasty.”

“I interact with every nation, both directly and indirectly. Out of all the countries, Canada is one of the most unpleasant to negotiate with,” Trump stated.

He added: “Canada was destined to be the 51st state since we provide Canada with a $200 billion annual subsidy,” citing a blown-up figure of the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office estimated at $63.3 billion for 2024.

Significance

Recently, tensions have escalated between the U.S. and Canada due to Trump’s extensive tariffs on Canadian imports. This has incited Canadian retaliation, boycotts of American products, and even led to a trade war between the two traditionally amicable nations.

When Canada expressed concerns about how the tariffs might affect its economy, Trump remarked that the country could possibly be integrated into the U.S. as its “51st state,” a statement he has reiterated while mockingly labeling the newly replaced prime minister as “Governor Trudeau.” While some believe he was joking, Canadian officials worry that the threat carries weight, with Trudeau reportedly concerned that Trump is interested in Canada’s significant mineral resources.

Key Information

During the interview on Tuesday, Trump claimed that the U.S. is not dependent on Canadian imports and can easily obtain goods and raw materials domestically.

“We don’t require their lumber, their energy, or anything else. We certainly don’t want their cars,” he stated.

When Ingraham questioned Trump about why he seemed “harsher” on Canada than on America’s “adversaries,” Trump replied: “Only because it is destined to be our 51st state.”

According to the Toronto Star, which acquired a recording of Trudeau discussing Trump’s remarks at a private meeting with Canadian business and labor leaders, the former prime minister labeled Trump’s threats as “a real thing.”

“I propose that the Trump administration is aware of the critical minerals we possess, which may even explain why they persist in suggesting that we should be absorbed and become the 51st state,” Trudeau reportedly stated.

Mark Carney, an economist and the new prime minister of Canada, has taken over from Trudeau.

Carney vowed to “stand up to” Trump when he campaigned for the leadership of the Liberal Party and has since committed to resisting the president’s tariffs.

Last week, Canada announced it would be placing tariffs on $21 billion worth of American goods entering the country in retaliation for Trump’s recent 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford similarly threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on electricity exported to the U.S., but has since put this plan on hold after discussions with the Trump administration.

Reactions

New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently told reporters that President Trump must cease making “disrespectful” comments about Canada’s sovereignty before the two nations can “discuss our broader partnership with the United States,” as reported by Reuters.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly remarked to the BBC that she is treating Trump’s statements about Canada becoming the 51st state “very seriously.”

“This is no longer a joke,” Joly insisted. “This isn’t something we can scoff at. This is based on the conversations I’ve had with numerous officials from the Trump administration.”

Adam Chapnick, a defense studies professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, told Newsweek: “Canada and its allies certainly need to take the president’s threats seriously to prevent them from being normalized among his extremely loyal supporters; however, the chances of Washington committing significant resources to try and annex Canada are slim to nonexistent. I believe the president will continue to express a desire to take over Canada because it provokes such strong reactions from Canadians, and he relishes the attention and the ability to exert power, even if only through unrealistic threats. But this does not imply that Canadians or others around the world should anticipate an American invasion in the near future.”

Lana Payne, president of Unifor, which is Canada’s largest private sector union, previously told Newsweek: “There’s significant outrage regarding the various tariff threats and the challenges to our very sovereignty, highlighted by the repeated claim that Canada should become the 51st state. Canadians are uniting and taking action in whatever ways they can, with the most straightforward approach being to support the purchase of Canadian-made products.”

Future Developments

Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports, along with the 10 percent tax on Canadian energy imports, began in early March. Last week, Trump’s 25 percent duties on steel and aluminum took effect for all countries. Trump has announced that his “reciprocal tariffs”—intended to correct what he perceives as inequities in America’s trade dealings—are slated to be enacted on April 2.

Update 03/19/25, 8:16 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from Adam Chapnick.