Absolutely Not, Canada! Why Trump’s Trolling Over a 51st State Would Weaken the US

“54°40′ or Fight” was the battle cry of James K. Polk’s supporters during the 1844 presidential race, representing their aim to claim a large portion of what would later become part of Canada.

In contrast, Donald Trump has no specific territorial ambitions when he talks about Canada — he wants it all, or at least claims to, while playfully mocking our neighbor to the north and its beleaguered progressive Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

Recently, Trump has entertained the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state, posted a digitally altered image of himself beside a Canadian flag overlooking a mountain, and humorously labeled Trudeau as “governor.”

Many Canadians have taken this in stride, though some have expressed concern or annoyance, to which we might respond, “No worries, Canada — we don’t truly want you.”

Even if Trump were to resurrect War Plan Red — an early 20th-century military strategy for a conflict with the British Empire, with Canada as a focal point — it wouldn’t be a worthwhile endeavor.

The United States has no need for another large, poorly governed blue state.

We already have California, where the weather and surfing are significantly better.

In recent years, Canada has continued to lag economically behind the United States.

According to The Economist, “The IMF predicts that Canada’s per capita national income, which was about 80% of America’s before the pandemic, will shrink to just 70% of its neighbor’s by 2025.”

Writing on a similar subject for The Hub, University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe points out that “the gap between Canadian and American economies has now reached its largest disparity in nearly a century.”

He further notes, “The US is projected to generate nearly 50% more output per person than Canada will.”

If Canada were to join the US, it would become the fourth-poorest state in the Union, trailing Alabama.

Tombe breaks it down by region: Ontario, which houses Toronto, Canada’s largest city, would rank as the fifth poorest state, while Quebec would likely be the second poorest, positioned between West Virginia and Mississippi.

Why should we take on Canada’s struggling economic state as our own burden?

Then there’s the political aspect.

Canada would be a powerful blue state, potentially rivaling California in population (about 40 million) and likely contributing to a Democratic stronghold.

While red regions can be found in Canada, reflecting a similar urban-rural divide as in the US, the overall political climate is less conservative.

Polling before the US presidential election indicated Kamala Harris had a 3-to-1 advantage over Trump, even in areas traditionally considered Trump-friendly, like the prairies.

The US and Canada share a friendly relationship with intertwined histories, yet their political and economic cultures diverge considerably.

We might believe that annexing Canada would make it more like us, but — with two Democratic senators and numerous electoral votes favoring Democratic candidates — Canada would likely move us closer to its political dynamics.

In that regard, the punchline would indeed be on us.

Incorporating Quebec would also lead to an immediate separatist issue, given its historically strained relationship with the rest of Canada.

If we were to add French as a required language option along with English and Spanish, this would certainly be a notable step.

Additionally, there’s the situation with Justin Trudeau.

After his frustrating tenure leading Canada, it would be irksome if his narrative culminated in becoming a US citizen.

Given his youth, he might even find a new lease on life in Democratic politics.

While he wouldn’t be eligible to run for president, he could leverage his status as a kingmaker within the Ontario caucuses to wield power and influence.

All things considered, we must acknowledge that our past attempts to annex Canada have consistently failed, and our amiable neighbor deserves our respect, even amidst good-natured teasing.

Let Canada remain Canada.

Twitter: @RichLowry