Donald Trump once again raised the idea of making Canada the 51st American state on social networks, speaking of this possibility as an “excellent idea”, at a time when his northern neighbor is in the midst of a political crisis.
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Canadians would “save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it’s a great idea. 51st State!!!,” added the American president-elect on his Truth Social platform.
“Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state,” he also said. A poll conducted last week by the Leger Institute showed that 13% of Canadians would like their country to become a state of the United States.
Mr. Trump made his first remark about the “51st state” during a dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late November.
During this meeting, the American president-elect joked that if Canada could not survive the 25% customs duties, it could become the 51st American state, according to the Fox News channel.
Since then, he has repeatedly referred to the head of the Canadian government as governor in messages, a title designating in the United States the head of the executive of a federated state.
Messages very poorly received in the Canadian political class, who see it as humiliation or even threats from the United States.
And this worries Canadians all the more as the country is in the middle of a political crisis after the surprise resignation on Monday of the number 2 of the government due to differences with Justin Trudeau on how to manage the economic war which is looming with the powerful ally American.
The intention of the American president-elect to increase customs duties to 25% with his Mexican and Canadian neighbors has created a shock wave in Canada, whose first partner is the United States, where 75% of its exports go.
In terms of employment, nearly 2 million people in Canada depend on exports out of a population of approximately 41 million.
