After Trump revives 51st state rhetoric, party leaders stress ‘not ever’
Global News
U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his calls for Canada to become the 51st state, but party leaders on the campaign trail say it will 'never' happen.
As Canadians prepare to vote in the federal election on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump has resumed his attacks on the country’s auto sector and sovereignty, prompting Canada’s party leaders to once more stress they will fight to protect both.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters it was possible his 25 per cent tariffs “could go up” for cars made in Canada, before repeating his assertion that Canada should be a U.S. state.
While the president’s escalation of his trade war on Canada and countries around the world has continued throughout the federal campaign, his rhetoric around Canada’s sovereignty has largely quieted during the past several weeks.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that Trump still wants Canada to become the country’s 51st state, but it was Wednesday that Trump made it clear it was something he still desired.
“I have to be honest, as a state, it works great,” Trump said. “As a nation, considering the fact that, you know, 95 per cent of Canada, what they do is they buy from us, and they sell to us … it doesn’t make sense. If we needed something, that would be a different subject.”
Trump’s comments came weeks after his first call with Prime Minister Mark Carney in March.
Carney, who is running in the election as Liberal party leader but remains prime minister of a caretaker government, reiterated on Thursday that it would “never happen,” noting he told this to Trump in that phone call.
“The president has certain things in his mind that he reverts back to all the time,” Carney told reporters.
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