In a shocking move that has raised eyebrows, the President-elect of the United States has shared a new map depicting Canada as part of U.S. territory, coinciding with his earlier comments about using “economic force” to incorporate Canada into the United States. This announcement follows Trump’s rhetoric about ushering in a “golden age” for America.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, the incoming president shared the map, which he captioned, “Oh Canada!” – just days after renewing calls to make the nation the 51st state, citing Canadian military spending as an unfair burden to the U.S.
In a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, not long after his victory had been certified, Trump said, “You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like. It would also be much better for national security.” He envisioned a continental North America: “Canada and the United States, that would really be something.”
Other digs in Trump’s comments included an attack on Canada’s military capabilities, claiming that they rely on U.S. defense resources, and he called for more financial contribution by Canada. Asked if military force would be used to enforce this union, he qualified his method of operation as “economic force.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau countered Trump’s provocative claims by ruling out the idea of the two countries becoming one: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.” He underlined mutual benefits of the trading partnership and security cooperation between the two countries.
Trump, who has had icy relations with Trudeau since his first term in office, has been playing with the idea of Canadian statehood a lot in recent months. He once said on Truth Social that “Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” adding that the U.S. could no longer afford trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to keep its economy afloat.
