AP Photo/Alex Brandon
President-elect Donald Trump turned up the heat on his controversial “great idea” of making Canada the 51st state, doubling down Wednesday with a post on Truth Social that proposed the U.S. could “subsidize” its northern neighbor in exchange for joining the union.
Trump first floated the idea in early December during a Mar-a-Lago meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The lighthearted suggestion came as the two discussed Trump’s proposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, which he framed as essential to addressing trade imbalances and border security concerns.
But since then, the president-elect has escalated his rhetoric, trolling Trudeau with AI-generated memes, referring to the “Great State of Canada” in a barbed wordplay and mockingly calling the Canadian leader “governor.”
On Wednesday, Trump sharpened his pitch, posting: “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”
(Screengrab via Truth Social)
The timing of Trump’s provocations couldn’t be worse for Trudeau. His approval ratings have nosedived to 33 percent, according to an Ipsos poll, amid crises in housing affordability, healthcare backlogs, and deepening cultural divides. To make matters worse, his cabinet is reeling from the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who cited frustration with Trudeau’s fiscal policies in the face of a potential “tariff war.”
Trump’s tariff threats are also dominating Canadian political discourse. With 80 percent of Canada’s exports flowing to the U.S., Ottawa is acutely vulnerable to the fallout if Trump follows through on a 25 percent levy.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has seized on the chaos, demanding an immediate election and framing it as a referendum on Trudeau’s leadership.
Trump might be having fun with the jibe, but Trudeau certainly isn’t.
