By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-08 21:11:46 | Updated at 2025-01-09 11:29:46
14 hours ago
Another Canadian politician suggested that some states leave the U.S. and join the neighbors to the north.
Canadian Green Party leader Elizabeth May suggested all three liberal west coast states of California, Oregon and Washington join the Great White North.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested earlier this week that Alaska and Minnesota should join Canada, as well.
Both comments come as a counter to Trump's suggestion that Canada became the 51st U.S. state – a sentiment that started as a joke last month but in recent weeks has become a serious proposal by the president-elect.
After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned this week, Trump's calls for statehood for the country only increased.
He posted an image of a map of North America to his Truth Social account on Wednesday that had the American Flag pattern covering the U.S. and Canada.
And when Trudeau said on X on Tuesday 'there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,' Trump's ally Elon Musk joined in on Trump trolling the outgoing PM.
'Girl, you're not the governor of Canada anymore, so doesn't matter what you say,' Musk wrote on X.
President-elect Donald Trump is chugging forward with the idea of Canada becoming America's 51st state
He posted an image of Wednesday of the American Flag pattern over a map of both Canada and the U.S.
But Canadian politicians aren't so keen on getting enveloped into the U.S.
Speaking at a press conference last week in Ottawa, May called out the president-elect and asked more liberal states if they want to instead come over to the cold side.
'Hey, Donald, have we got a deal for you?' she said. 'You think we want to be the 51st state huh? But maybe California would like to be the 11th province. How about it? California? Oregon? Washington?'
'This is what you get: free health care – universal free health care. No more one-year-olds who suddenly fall off the Medicaid list and their parents are in the news because they're trying to do a GoFundMe so they can get their daughter to a doctor. Universal Free health care,' she said, addressing the three West Coast states.
'Guess what? Those gun laws that your Congress is too afraid to pass because of the national gun lobby. We already got our strict gun laws,' she added, trying to appeal to the more liberal factions of the country.
For, on the other hand, was a bit less antagonistic with his approach.
'You know something, to the president I'll make him a counteroffer,' he told reporters on Monday. 'How about if we buy Alaska and throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time?'
He told CNN later on Monday that he was joking with his comments.
Canadian Green Party leader Elizabeth May invited liberal west coast states of California, Oregon and Washington to join Canada instead
Trump told reporters during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday that the U.S. is 'not treated well by Canada.'
'Canada is subsidized to the tune of about $200 billion a year plus other things. They don't essentially have a military. They have a very small military. They rely on our military. It's all fine but, you know, they have to pay for that. It's very unfair,' Trump lamented.
'Something has to be done.'
'And we are going to put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada,' he reiterated.
Trump announced in late November his intent to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico in direct response to the proliferation of the migrant and fentanyl crisis.
This sparked Trudeau to immediately fly down to Trump's South Florida residence for a meeting where he scrambled to get the incoming U.S. president to change his mind about the tariffs.
He told Trump that the tariffs would cripple the Canadian economy, to which Trump suggested that the northern neighbors become a state to side-step the taxes.
Trump believes that Canada is costing the U.S. money and should suffer the economic consequences.
Elon Musk trolled Justin Trudeau after he said 'there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States' and called the outgoing Prime Minister a 'governor' in a nod to Trump's desire to make Canada a state
Ontario Premier Ford says Canada is not to blame for any U.S. economic woes, instead pointing the finger at China for sending in 'cheap parts.'
'I've talked to so many governors and congresspeople and senators and never once did they say Canada is the problem,' Ford told CNN's Erin Burnett in a Monday night interview.
'I'll tell you who the problem is: China is the problem. China shipping in cheap parts, putting them through Mexico. Mexico slapping on a 'Made in Mexico' sticker on and shipping up through the U.S. and Canada. (It's) costing American and Canadian jobs.'
Ford believes a bilateral deal with the U.S. would address the issue instead of Trump punishing Canada with higher tariffs.
Trudeau announced in remarks outside his residence on Monday morning that he will step down as Canada's Prime Minister
Trump doubled-down on his proposal to make Canada a state on Monday, appearing to be more serious about the proposal.
'Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,' Trump wrote on Truth Social after Trudeau's resignation. 'The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned.'
'If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them,' he wrote.
'Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!'
