Trump Jokes Canada Could Become the 51st State During Meeting with PM Trudeau: Report

In a dinner meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort, former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly joked about Canada becoming the 51st state as a way to bypass potential tariffs he is planning to impose on the country. Trump hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a three-hour discussion on pressing trade and political issues on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida.

The meeting followed Trump’s announcement of a proposed 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, alongside an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods. According to sources, Trump quipped during the dinner that Canada could sidestep these levies by joining the United States as its newest state. The remark was met with nervous laughter from Trudeau and other attendees.

Adding humor to the conversation, Trump commented that the title “prime minister” sounded more distinguished than “governor.” Another guest suggested Canada would be a highly liberal state, prompting Trump to joke about dividing Canada into two states—one liberal and one conservative.

Despite the lighthearted tone, Trudeau expressed serious concerns over the potential tariffs, emphasizing their economic impact. “Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about that,” Trudeau said prior to the meeting. He warned that such tariffs would not only harm Canadian workers but also raise costs for American consumers and damage U.S. businesses.

Following the dinner, Trudeau described the discussion as an “excellent conversation.” On Saturday, he shared a photo with Trump on X (formerly Twitter), thanking him for the dinner and expressing optimism about future collaboration.

Thanks for dinner last night, President Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again. pic.twitter.com/lAWFMTtQt7

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 30, 2024

Trump, for his part, took to Truth Social to elaborate on the topics discussed, including the fentanyl crisis, trade imbalances, and Arctic energy exploration. “We will no longer sit idly by as our citizens suffer from the drug epidemic caused by cartels and fentanyl flowing from China,” Trump wrote, adding that Trudeau committed to working with the U.S. to combat this crisis.

The former president’s tariff proposal has drawn criticism from both Canadian and American officials, with many highlighting its potential to strain cross-border trade. Canada and Mexico, key U.S. trade partners under the USMCA agreement, have faced increased scrutiny from Trump, who has blamed them for contributing to the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S.

Trump reiterated on Truth Social that the tariffs would remain until illegal migration and drug trafficking cease. “This invasion of our country must end!” he declared.