Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has branded U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing threats to annex Canada as “baffling,” spotlighting a perplexing strain on international ties. Speaking on CTV’s Question Period—set to air Sunday—Turnbull expressed disbelief at the rhetoric aimed at Canada, a steadfast U.S. partner. “I can’t fathom why there’s this bullying and trolling of Canada,” he told host Vassy Kapelos. “It’s mystifying to the world.”
Trump’s musings about folding Canada into the U.S. as its 51st state, paired with jabs at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor,” have escalated since late 2024. Trudeau himself has shifted from dismissing the idea as a jest to calling it “a real thing,” a sentiment echoed across Canada’s political spectrum as leaders push back hard. “It’d be laughable if it weren’t so grave,” Turnbull said, praising Canadian officials for their resolute defiance.
Turnbull, who led Australia from 2015 to 2018, knows Trump’s style firsthand. During Trump’s first term, a heated 2017 phone call over a refugee-swap deal—forged with the Obama administration—saw Trump fume, labeling it “ridiculous,” while he’d gushed about a “pleasant” chat with Vladimir Putin. “Trump’s got a temper,” Turnbull recalled, hinting at the challenges of navigating his unpredictability.
With Trump back in power, Turnbull sees a transformed America that allies must grapple with. “Canadians get this better than most,” he said. “We’re all adjusting to a very different Washington.”
Canada’s plight has met a curiously quiet reaction from fellow democracies. On Thursday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer dodged questions about Trump’s threats during a White House visit, insisting, “You’re looking for a rift that isn’t there.” Starmer also delivered an invitation from King Charles III—Canada’s head of state—for Trump to make a rare second state visit, a move Buckingham Palace declined to contextualize amid the annexation talk, stating only, “We won’t comment.”
Turnbull found the hesitancy troubling. “Democratic nations sharing our values need to band together more,” he urged. “We can’t just route our security through Washington anymore—not when it’s this different.”
As members of the British Commonwealth and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—alongside the U.S., U.K., and New Zealand—Canada and Australia share deep ties. Reports this week from The Financial Times suggested Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro floated ousting Canada from the pact to squeeze Ottawa, though Navarro later backpedaled. Turnbull was stumped. “I don’t get it,” he said. “What’s the agenda here? Why intimidate a loyal ally?”
He underscored Canada’s value to the alliance, born in the wake of World War II. “It’s a tight-knit network that benefits everyone, especially the U.S.,” Turnbull argued. “What’s the gain in tossing out a trusted partner?”
For Turnbull, Trump’s provocations defy logic—and demand a united stand from democracies worldwide.