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Canadians want Canada to become 51st state of US: Donald Trump

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Canadians want Canada to become 51st state of US: Donald Trump

Donald Trump believes Canadians will be able to save on taxes and military protection if Canada becomes 51st state of US.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said it would be “a great idea” for Canada to become the 51st state of the US, joking on social media that “many Canadians” welcome the idea, as Ottawa grapples with political turmoil.

“Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He added, “They would save a lot on taxes and military protection. I think it’s a great idea. 51st state!!!” The post is not the first time Trump has publicly pushed the idea, a joke that has angered some, especially after the shock resignation of Canada’s deputy prime minister on Monday.

A Leger opinion poll this week found that 13 per cent of Canadians support the idea of ​​joining with their southern neighbour.

When Trump made the same comment to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in late November, it reportedly sparked laughter.

Trump suggested that merging the two countries would not only solve his concerns about fentanyl smuggling, for which he has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, but could also curb illegal immigration – an issue that mainly affects the US southern border.

His suggestion shocked people in Ottawa, with some commenting that it was “not funny”, insulting and a not-so-subtle threat from the incoming US leader.

Since then, Trump has repeatedly referred to Trudeau in social media posts as Canada’s governor – a title used by the leaders of the 50 US states.

The attack has become even more worrisome for Canadians following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland this week, which has led to calls for Trudeau to step down.

‘A boxer who gets cut’

Former Trudeau adviser Gerald Butts reacted on social media: “Trump is like a boxer who gets cut.”

Norman Spector, a former staffer for former Canadian Prime Minister and Trump’s golfing buddy Brian Mulroney, wondered if Trump was seriously seeking to have the United States’ northern neighbour join him.

“It would never happen,” Max Cameron, a professor of politics at the University of British Columbia, told AFP.

“There may be no greater obstacle to integrating Canada more closely with the United States than Donald Trump,” he said.

“I suspect this is all part of a pattern of bullying, of the way he interacts.”

Queen’s University professor Stephanie Chouinard also reiterated this view, saying Trump is “taking advantage of the chaos in Canadian politics this week to further anger Trudeau.”

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has insisted that despite Trump’s taunting remarks, he and Trudeau have had “productive” discussions with the president-elect and his team.

On Tuesday, LeBlanc and Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced border security and immigration measures aimed at appeasing Trump, including hiring hundreds of new police and border officers and aligning Canada’s asylum system with that of the United States to more quickly process claims that do not meet requirements.

Ottawa has also proposed establishing a joint Canada-US “strike force” to combat transnational crime groups and increasing its military spending.

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