Trump Wishes Canadians ‘Good Luck’ on Election Day, Revives ’51st State’ Proposal
Days after stating he wouldn’t engage in Canada’s election, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a message to Canadians on election day. He wished them well while reiterating his belief that Canada should be part of the United States.
He further expressed that Canada would thrive if integrated with the United States under his leadership.
“Vote for the man who possesses the strength and wisdom to halve your taxes, enhance your military capabilities for free to the highest level globally, and see your industries—such as automotive, steel, aluminum, lumber, and energy—QUADRUPLE in size, WITHOUT TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada joins as the cherished 51st state of the United States of America,” he stated.
Trump has been a significant presence in Canada’s election discourse, with parties debating who can best manage interactions with the U.S. president and foster an economy less reliant on its southern neighbor amidst tariff impositions. The Liberal campaign has focused on portraying Trump’s remarks as a genuine threat to Canada’s sovereignty.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has consistently asserted that Trump “wants to undermine us so America can take control.”
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also reacted against Trump, noting that a decade of Liberal policies has created the circumstances that allow Trump to overshadow Canada. Poilievre emphasizes that “change” is crucial to address Canada’s foundational issues like a struggling economy, housing scarcity, and rising living costs.
In his April 28 message, Trump reiterated ideas he has been voicing since he first suggested Canada should be the 51st U.S. state in late November 2024.
He described the Canada-U.S. border as “artificially drawn,” claiming the U.S. subsidizes Canada with “hundreds of billions of dollars a year.” Trump asserted, in bold letters, that if Canada became part of the U.S., it would be “all positives with no negatives” and was “meant to be!”
Trump’s post followed his comments to reporters regarding the Canadian election while he signed executive orders in the Oval Office on April 23.
The conversation with Carney that Trump referenced, which occurred on March 28, resurfaced in the news last week. Carney stated that Trump had acknowledged Canada’s sovereignty during the call, marking a tonal shift for the U.S. president following his 51st state remarks about Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
“The president has certain ideas he frequently revisits, but he treated me as the prime minister, not as something else,” Carney remarked. “I won’t even use the term he once associated with my predecessor,” referring to Trump’s past comments calling Trudeau the “governor” of the hypothetical 51st state.
On April 23, Trump recounted how he came to suggest Canada join the U.S., reflecting on his meeting with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate in late November.
“Without us, and without our financial support, as Trudeau remarked to me, they would cease to exist,” Trump recounted. “He indicated that they would cease to exist, which is accurate.”
This retelling mirrors that of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who mentioned that Trudeau warned Trump Canada would “cease to exist” under widespread tariffs. Trudeau had met with Trump in Florida following warnings of a broad 25 percent tariff related to border security and drug trafficking concerns.
“The president logically responded, ‘if you can’t survive without engaging in trade unfairly, then you should consider becoming a state,’” Rubio commented to American journalist Catherine Herridge.
Since Trump’s first proposal of Canada as a 51st state, his administration has enacted three rounds of tariffs on Canada, with certain exemptions for products covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement.
Both Carney and Poilievre have pledged to initiate negotiations with Trump for a new free trade agreement if elected.
Matthew Horwood contributed to this report.
