Carney swiftly criticizes Trump—can he prevent Canada from becoming America’s 51st state? | US News

President Donald J Trump aims to reshape the global political landscape to favor “America First”.

While some may scoff at his historical naiveté and his exuberant ambitions reminiscent of a schoolboy,

he has already demonstrated his readiness to dismantle the post-World War II rules-based order—a framework established to deter countries from invading each other, particularly within the democratic sphere.

He has disregarded international treaties ratified by previous U.S. presidents, including his own agreements concerning trade with Mexico and Canada.

Since his inauguration for a second term in January, Trump has continuously articulated his vision for new territorial expansions.

He envisions acquiring Greenland “one way or another”.

He has unconvincingly asserted, “We need Greenland for national security and international stability.”

Trump has also made his intentions clear regarding the Panama Canal, stating, “We handed it over to Panama, not to China. We’re taking it back.”

The company managing the canal’s ports at both the Atlantic and Pacific ends swiftly yielded to his pressure.

This month, CK Hutchinson, based in Hong Kong, sold its interests to a consortium led by U.S. fund managers Blackstone.

Then there’s Canada, the affluent, sovereign member of the G7, which Trump has persistently threatened to annex.

He has taken to calling it absurdly the “51st state” and dismissing its former prime minister as “Governor Trudeau”.

Who are the candidates to lead Canada next?

During conversations with Trudeau, he has openly questioned the borders established by the 1908 Treaty signed by U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt and King Edward VII of the UK and Canada.

“The artificial boundary drawn many years back will eventually dissipate, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere globally,” he tweeted on his Truth Social platform last week, promising that Canadians would pay “significantly lower taxes”.

Trump’s combative rhetoric has disrupted Canadian politics as a general election nears.

Canada serves as the U.S.’s closest military ally and a fellow NATO member, alongside being its largest trading partner, supplying 80% of U.S. aluminum and being the largest steel provider.

Trump finds this infuriating, having imposed 25% tariffs on its metal exports and threatening further measures.

Historically, Canada and Britain fought a war against the U.S. in 1812 to defend its sovereignty.

Most Canadians have been appalled by Trump’s unsolicited attention.

The U.S. national anthem is being booed at various sporting events, and American products are undergoing boycotts, including the renaming of Americano coffee to “Canadiano”.

Meanwhile, Trump is imposing checks on border crossings.

Canadians anticipated a governmental change and a shift toward the right in the general election expected by October.

The sitting Liberal administration, under Justin Trudeau, has become fatigued after nine years in power, with housing and the cost of living emerging as primary voter concerns.

The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre and his populist “Canada First” slogan, held a 25% lead.

However, Trump’s second term began, and Trudeau stepped down as the Liberal Party leader.

A political outsider emerged this week as the new Liberal Party leader, receiving a staggering 85.9% of the vote, and took over as temporary prime minister.

Mark Carney, a distinguished economist who previously served as the governor of both the Bank of Canada and the first non-British governor of the Bank of England, has assumed leadership.

The Liberals have surged to a near tie with the Conservatives, polling at 35% and 36%, respectively, in the latest Nanos Research tracking poll.

Carney is quickly challenging Trump’s agenda, labeling these as “dark times”.

He acknowledged, “We did not seek this conflict,” yet remarked, “the Americans are after our resources, our water, our land, and our country.”

He assured, “America is not Canada. And Canada will never, in any circumstance, become part of America.”

Carney is advocating for reciprocal tariffs against the U.S., despite his fundamental opposition to them, and predicts “Canada will emerge victorious”.

Carney has never held political office and is not currently a member of parliament in Canada.

However, as a seasoned insider, he skillfully navigated Canada through the 2007-2008 recession and guided the UK during Brexit, despite his strong opposition to it.

His qualifications position him well to lead Canada in this unexpected economic conflict with the U.S.

Additionally, he benefits from emerging late on the Liberal Party scene and maintaining distance from Trudeau.

Carney and his British wife, Diana, are committed environmentalists, but in light of Canada’s vast oil and gas resources, he has shifted away from supporting a carbon tax.

Predictably, his main opponent, the working-class tough guy Poilievre, has labeled Carney as a member of the global elite.

Similar to Trump during his campaign, the Conservative leader is appealing to the podcast “manosphere”.

Carney counters that Poilievre’s past adoration for Trump and his online circle should be a disadvantage: “A person who kneels before Donald Trump will not stand up to him.”

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Some factions within the Conservative right are advocating for Canada to embrace its interdependence with the U.S. and move toward a closer alignment with Trump within a North American framework.

This position appears contradictory as they also claim that Canada could maintain its sovereignty if it aligns with Trump.

Carney was sworn in as prime minister only last Friday and is anticipated to call for an election soon.

At present, momentum is on his side.

His success would deliver a significant blow to Trump—albeit with alarming consequences.

Trump is inclined to exert economic pressure to achieve his objectives, but he has also indicated, as with Ukraine, a readiness to withdraw military and intelligence support from allies to amplify coercive tactics.

Currently, Canada and the U.S. share integrated security measures to safeguard North America.

To Trump, these arrangements symbolize freeloading, given Canada’s position as one of NATO’s lower military expenditure contributors.

Canada has a population of 40 million, with a military strength of 63,500, whereas the U.S. has 340 million citizens and an armed forces numbering 1.4 million.

If thwarted in his territorial aspirations, Trump may resort to a military buildup along the border, making incursions and conflicts a possibility.

The UK, sharing a monarch, is ultimately a more natural ally for Canada than the U.S.

The potential annexation of Canada by the U.S. would support Trump’s vision of a world where powerful nations led by authoritarian rulers carve up territories.

The Trump administration is currently facilitating Russia’s acquisition of substantial portions of Ukraine, indicating a pattern where the U.S. may attempt to seize land from its neighbors.

And if both Putin and Trump pursue such ambitions without inciting warfare, it seems unlikely that Trump would hesitate to act if Xi were to take aggressive steps toward Taiwan.

While the most alarming outcome may not unfold, it remains a distinct possibility.

The global situation has reached a point where Donald Trump’s statements must be taken with utmost seriousness.