By Canadian Press

Trump says his desire to make Canada the 51st state is a real thing

Feb 9, 2025 | 3:55 PM

OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump once again says that he wants to see Canada become a state due to the unsubstantiated claim that the States is “paying $200 billion a year” to its northern neighbour.

Trump says that Canada would be “much better off” as a State, and says he’d be fine with “subsidizing” Canada if it was a State, an apparent reference to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada.

Statistics Canada says Canada’s overall trade surplus with the U.S. was $94.4 billion in 2023, primarily due to oil exports.

Trump made the statement in response to a question from Fox News anchor Bret Baier in an interview televised Sunday.

Baier asked Trump about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments Friday, where Trudeau told a group on business leaders that Trump is not joking about making Canada a state.

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Trump initially threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products due to border security issues around fentanyl and illegal immigration, but the president’s comments continue to focus on trade with Canada and more recently a perceived lack of U.S. banks in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press