Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, has claimed that many Canadians support the idea of their country becoming the 51st state of the U.S. as a means to counter perceived threats from Russia and China.
“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this and resigned,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added: “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. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”
Reports from Fox News in December suggested that Trump had floated the idea of a U.S.-Canada merger during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago in late November.
This comes in the wake of Trudeau’s recent resignation as Prime Minister. On Monday, Trudeau announced he was stepping down to allow his Liberal Party to choose a new leader, citing political deadlock and declining public support.
Trudeau, 53, who has served as prime minister since 2015, faced increasing pressure from within his party following poor performance in opinion polls and mounting criticism. His resignation comes as the opposition Conservative Party gains momentum ahead of an election that must take place by October. Trudeau’s finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, had also resigned earlier in December, reportedly due to policy disagreements.