Canadian finance minister Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday said that US President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming the 51st US state are no longer a “joke.”
“The joke is over,” LeBlanc said. “It’s a way for him, I think, to sow confusion, to agitate people, to create chaos knowing this will never happen.”
LeBlanc’s comments come as Prime Minister Trudeau announced his resignation, adding another layer of complexity to US-Canada relations. Trudeau will remain in office until a new Liberal leader is chosen.
Trump had initially suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state during a dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He has also proposed using “economic force” to pressure Canada, citing what he describes as a US trade deficit with the country.
LeBlanc called Trump’s rhetoric “counterproductive” and said he is in contact with the incoming US administration about border security to avoid potential tariffs.
Apart from LeBlanc, many Canadian officials have reacted strongly to Trump’s repeated comments suggesting Canada should become the 51st US state.
‘He should focus on his own issues’
“The timing is awful for sure,” said Canadian Liberal lawmaker Judy Sgro, referring to the leadership change. “But we will do what we have to do to ensure that Canada stands strong.”
Sgro also addressed Trump directly: “He should focus on his own issues in his own country, because he’s got lots of them.”
‘A South Park episode’
Immigration minister Marc Miller called Trump’s remarks “ridiculous.” “There is no chance of us becoming the 51st state. I think that this is beneath a president of the United States,” Miller said. “I said a few weeks ago that this whole thing was like a South Park episode.”
‘I don’t know who is misinforming him’
Trump has also claimed the US does not need Canadian imports like automobiles, lumber, and dairy. Ontario Premier Doug Ford disputed this, stressing Canada’s significant oil exports to the US.
“I don’t know who is misinforming him. Right now we ship 4.3 million barrels of crude oil into the US. Sixty percent of their energy imports are coming from Canada.”
Ford warned of retaliation if tariffs are imposed.
‘We are not going to be annexed’
Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly said that while she takes Trump’s threats seriously, “At the same time we can’t take the bait. We have to show we have a strong economy and we are strong and we are not going to be annexed.”
Canada is a major supplier of steel, aluminum, and uranium to the US, as well as a key source of critical minerals. Billions of dollars in goods and services cross the US-Canada border daily. Beyond his comments on Canada becoming the 51st US state, Trump has also talked about acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal.
