Trudeau Discusses Dinner with Trump, Retaliatory Tariffs, and Anti-Incumbency Trend in MSNBC Interview

January 12, 2025 TruthUSA

During a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump in Florida last November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested trading two U.S. states in exchange for making Canada the “51st state.” However, the conversation was quickly dropped after Trump did not find the proposal amusing.

Trudeau shared this exchange in a Jan. 9 interview with MSNBC, recounting his visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate where the idea of annexing Canada was first raised by the incoming U.S. president.

“[Annexation] actually sort of came up at one point, and then we started musing back and forth about this,” Trudeau told anchor Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary under President Joe Biden’s administration.

Trudeau suggested trading Vermont or California for certain parts, but Trump quickly changed the topic as he did not find it humorous.

Since winning the U.S. election in November 2024, Trump has continued to refer to Canada as the “51st state” and Trudeau as the “governor” of a “great state.”

In a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Jan. 7, Trump mentioned using “economic force” to merge Canada with the United States, emphasizing the benefits of eliminating the border between the two countries.

Trudeau responded on social media platform X that same day, saying “there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.” He emphasized the mutual benefits of the current trade and security partnership between the two countries.

Trudeau reiterated his stance during the MSNBC interview on Jan. 12, affirming that Canadians are proud of being Canadian and dismissing the idea of becoming the 51st state.

“The 51st state? That’s not going to happen. It’s just a non-starter. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau also addressed Trump’s threats of imposing tariffs on Canadian imports if border security and illegal drug flows are not addressed, highlighting that Canada’s contribution to these issues is minimal. He assured that Canada will strengthen its border security to address these concerns.

Trudeau mentioned Canada’s readiness to respond with tariffs if necessary, citing previous instances where Canada responded with tariffs to measures imposed by the U.S.

‘Robust Response’

Trudeau emphasized that if Trump proceeds with the tariff, it would increase costs for American citizens. He also stated that Canada will have a robust response to such actions.

“We’re ready to respond with tariffs as necessary,” Trudeau said, pointing out Canada’s previous tariff responses to U.S. actions.

Trump has indicated his willingness to impose tariffs on Canadian products, claiming that the U.S. is losing money to subsidize Canada. Trudeau underlined that Canada remains the largest export partner of the United States and any tariffs would negatively impact both countries and their economies.

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