Canada’s finance minister, Dominic LeBlanc, criticized U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state, calling the remarks no longer a joke and accusing Trump of attempting to undermine Canada’s relationship with the United States.
LeBlanc, who handles U.S.-Canada relations, recalled that Trump had first made the comment during a dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late November, while smiling. However, LeBlanc said the joke had worn thin.
“The joke is over,” LeBlanc remarked, adding that Trump’s comments were intended to “sow confusion,” “agitate people,” and “create chaos,” knowing that such an idea would never come to fruition.
Trump has continued to promote the idea of Canada joining the U.S., even suggesting on Tuesday that he would not use military force to take over the country, but instead rely on “economic force.” He incorrectly portrayed the U.S. trade deficit with Canada as a subsidy, despite the fact that Canada is a major supplier of oil and other natural resources to the U.S.
LeBlanc warned that this rhetoric was becoming “very counterproductive” and said he was actively speaking with Trump’s incoming administration about avoiding a potential 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods. He also announced that he would not run to replace Trudeau as Liberal leader to focus on dealing with the tariff threat.
Trudeau, who announced his resignation as prime minister on Monday, will remain in office until a new Liberal leader is chosen. Liberal lawmaker Judy Sgro called the timing of the leadership change “awful” but said the party would “do what we have to do to ensure that Canada stands strong.”
Sgro also responded to Trump’s comments, saying, “He should focus on his own issues in his own country, because he’s got lots of them.”
Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller dismissed Trump’s remarks as “ridiculous,” emphasizing that there was no possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state. “This is beneath a president of the United States,” Miller said, likening the comments to a “South Park episode.”
Trump’s controversial remarks also extended to his previous comments about acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal through military force, as well as claims that the U.S. does not need resources from Canada, such as cars, timber, and dairy products.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to Trump’s assertions, saying, “I don’t know who is misinforming him.” Ford pointed out that Canada supplies 60 percent of U.S. energy imports, including 4.3 million barrels of crude oil daily from Alberta. He added that Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum, and uranium to the U.S.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the U.S. consumes about 20 million barrels of oil daily, producing around 13.2 million domestically. This means that Canada is responsible for a quarter of U.S. oil consumption.
Ford further warned that Canada would retaliate if Trump imposed tariffs, targeting a wide range of U.S. exports to Canada, although he did not specify which goods would be affected.
Canada remains a key trading partner for the U.S., with nearly US$3.6 billion worth of goods crossing the border every day. Canada is also a vital supplier of 34 minerals and metals critical to U.S. national security, according to the U.S. Pentagon.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, emphasized that while Canada takes Trump’s threats seriously, the country must not be drawn into provocative behavior. “We have to show we have a strong economy, and we are not going to be annexed,” Joly said.
