Donald Trump has a thing about Canada.
It’s not the only foreign country he’s got a thing about. He wants to buy Greenland, despite it not being for sale. He wants to take over the Panama Canal, despite it also not being for sale. He also (possibly) wants to annex Canada as the 51st State of the Union. Or he simply wants to bully some of the nicest people on the planet simply for being America’s neighbors. And after the resignation of Canada’s Prime Minster, Trump has yet another grade school jab to throw.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minster for nine years, recently announced that he would be stepping down from his position in the wake of Trump’s taunting, tariff threats, and waning support within his own government. Trudeau saw his political foundations crumble as in-fighting broke out in his Liberal Party. Unable to unite his allies, and facing increasing opposition from Canada’s Conservative Party, Trudeau said in his resignation speech that he would trust his party to select a new leader, as the “internal battles” he was forced to fight make him no longer the “best option” to govern the nation.
Trump pounced on Trudeau in a post on Truth Social, jabbing that “many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State.”
Trump and Trudeau’s relationship has always been fraught. During his first term in office, Trump frequently battled the Canadian PM over economic issues – everything from tariffs to a complete renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trudeau disagreed with Trump on immigration, and took particular umbrage to Trump’s travel ban which barred travelers from major Muslim nations from entering the U.S.
In a post on X (then Twitter) Trudeau wrote “to those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith.” Canada’s political opposition to Trump, along with his own contentious personality, caused him to later fire personal shots at Trudeau after a G7 summit in Quebec. Trump wrote on Twitter (before he was banned from the platform) that Trudeau was “dishonest and weak.” Aaron Ettinger, an associate professor at Carleton University who specializes in foreign policy summed up the relationship between the Canadian Prime Minster and Trump bleakly: “completely poisoned.”
Trump’s “51st State” jabs are fresh salt poured on old wounds. The President-elect began calling Canada the “51st State” after Trudeau personally visited him at Mar a Lago to offer congratulations for his election victory.
While Trump may dream of annexing Canada as a final insult to Trudeau’s political injury, it’s far from his party’s best interest. CCN political commentator Van Jones weighed in on Trump’s remarks, saying that Canada’s annexation would spell political disaster for Republicans – it would be a “huge blue state,” he claims. Jones added that he would be “more than happy” if Canada were to “rescue” America by joining the union, as U.S. citizens would benefit immensely from Canada’s “amazing health care system.” “I don’t think that Trump has thought this through,” said Jones of Trump’s “51st State” musings.
Sadly, Jones’ prediction of bullet-proof Canadian liberalism might be less accurate than he claims. Trudeau’s resignation could be considered a harbinger of doom for Canadian progressivism. According to the Angus Reid Institute – a Canadian non-profit that studies political trends – support for the nation’s Liberal Party has plummeted in recent weeks, and before his resignation, Trudeau’s approval rating sunk to an all time low.
And like he does with his other political enemies, Trump will likely keep on kicking Canada when it’s down.
Published: Jan 7, 2025 02:29 pm