Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday rejected US President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion to use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st US state.
“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Trudeau said in a post on X.
He added, “Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”
Trump, speaking from Mar-a-Lago, was asked if he was considering military force to acquire Canada.
“No, economic force,” he replied. “Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something.”
Trump, who has long criticized Canada’s trade surplus with the US, had earlier referred to the border as an “artificially drawn line.”
Trump has also threatened a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, which sends 75 percent of its exports to the US.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly responded earlier on Tuesday, saying Trump’s remarks “show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country… We will never back down in the face of threats.”
Trudeau announced on Monday that he would step down in the coming months due to mounting pressure from lawmakers concerned about his Liberal Party’s declining popularity. The next election, due by October 20, is expected to result in a decisive win for the opposition Conservatives.
“Canada will never be the 51st state. Period. We are a great and independent country,” said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in a post on X.
