Canadian Leaders Demand Trump Drops 51st State Idea: 'Not a Joke Anymore'

Canadian leaders are fed up with President-elect Donald Trump's repeated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who handles U. S. -Canada relations, has said, "The joke is over. " Trump has been saying Canada and Greenland could join the U. S. , with Canada becoming the 51st state. Leaders from both countries have dismissed this idea. LeBlanc thinks Trump is trying to cause confusion and chaos. He's been saying this since a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in November with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Recently, Trump said he'd use "economic force" to integrate Canada, a vital trade partner and NATO member. Trudeau responded on X (formerly Twitter), saying there's no chance Canada will join the U. S. Canada and the U. S. have a strong trade relationship. Canada is the top export market for 36 U. S. states and supplies over 60% of U. S. imported crude oil. Trump, however, says the U. S. doesn't need anything from Canada, which is not true according to Ontario Premier Doug Ford. LeBlanc is now dealing with high-stakes negotiations to avoid a 25% tariff Trump threatened on Canadian goods. This could disrupt a trade worth $3. 6 billion Canadian dollars daily. Trudeau's recent decision to step down as prime minister adds to the complications. LeBlanc won't replace him and will focus on trade disputes instead. Some Canadian lawmakers think Trump should focus on his own country's issues. The Immigration Minister called Trump's comments "ridiculous, " and the Foreign Minister said they won't take the bait. Even though the chance of Canada joining the U. S. is remote, Trump's rhetoric could hurt U. S. -Canada relations.