Donald Trump waves while arriving at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Saturday, April 26, 2025. The Canadian Press
Donald Trump has once again commented on Canada's federal election. This time, he said Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. He shared this idea on social media just before Canadians headed to the polls.
Trump promised many benefits if Canada joined the U.S. He said taxes would be cut in half. He also said Canada’s military would grow stronger—without spending more. Trump added that major industries like cars, steel, aluminum, and lumber would grow four times bigger. He claimed there would be no tariffs or taxes if Canada became a U.S. state.
Trump also said that Canada and the U.S. would no longer need a border. “Look how beautiful this land mass would be,” he posted. “Free access with no border. All positives with no negatives. It was meant to be!”
Trump has often criticized Canada. He has targeted the country during trade talks and blamed it for defense spending and trade deficits. Last month, he imposed new tariffs on many Canadian goods. These included steel, aluminum, and cars. He paused some of the tariffs only for goods that followed the rules in the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Trump now says he wants to renegotiate that deal. Experts say this may hurt the agreement that he himself created during his first term. They believe targeting close allies like Canada could weaken U.S. trade ties.
Leaders in Canada quickly pushed back. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told Trump to stay out of Canadian politics. He said Canadians alone will decide who leads the country.
“The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box,” Poilievre posted on social media.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney also rejected Trump’s comments. He defended Canadian independence and said his party is ready to deal with the U.S. in a strong and fair way.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there have been no real steps taken toward annexation. On a U.S. news show, Rubio said the Trump administration would work with whoever gets elected in Canada. However, he admitted that Trump doesn't like how Canada has handled trade in the past.
“We’ll deal with the new leadership of Canada,” Rubio said. “There are many things we work together on, but we don’t like how they’ve treated us in trade.”
Surveys in the U.S. show little support for the idea of making Canada part of the U.S. Still, Trump’s comments have caused concern in Canada as people vote in a critical election.
