President-elect Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric toward Canada, taunting America’s northern neighbor by sharing maps on social media that falsely suggest that the country already belongs to the United States.
Why It Matters
Trump has recently suggested that he is attempting to somehow acquire or annex other sovereign countries and territory including Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. He has also claimed that the U.S. will unilaterally rename the Gulf of Mexico to “The Gulf of America.”
With none of the territories in question having expressed any interest in joining the U.S., Trump said during a news conference on Tuesday that he would not rule out using the military to forcefully annex Greenland and the Panama Canal.
While Trump has not said that he is willing to use the military to seize control of Canada, he did recently claim that the country is already or would soon become “the 51st state” of America under his leadership.
What To Know
In posts to his Truth Social Account on Tuesday night, Trump shared two map images of North America that showed Canada as part of the United States. One of the maps, which highlighted the U.S. and Canada but not Mexico, was simply labeled “United States.”
The other map of North America, which showed the U.S. and Canada but not Mexico, showed the countries both adorned in the colors of the U.S. flag. Trump accompanied the image with the comment, “Oh Canada!”
In a post on Monday, Trump claimed that “many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” while insisting that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his coming resignation because he “knew” that Canada would not be able to “stay afloat” without U.S. subsidies.
“If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them,” Trump added. “Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the office of Trudeau on Tuesday night.
What People Are Saying
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, on Tuesday in a post to X, formerly Twitter: “President-elect Trump’s comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in comments to reporters on Monday: “You know something, to the president I’ll make him a counteroffer … How about if we buy Alaska and throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time? … [Trump] may be joking, but under my watch, that will never ever happen.”
What Happens Next
Despite Trump’s remarks, the chances of Canada actually becoming part of the U.S. in the foreseeable future are remote at best. But the president-elect’s escalating rhetoric could signal a coming decline in U.S.-Canada relations, while his plan to impose across-the-board tariffs on all foreign goods is likely to have a major effect on trade.
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