WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump says it’s “highly unlikely” America would ever use military force to annex Canada — but he’s not giving up on his dream of turning the country into the 51st state.
In a fiery appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Trump dismissed the idea of invading Canada, saying, “I think we’re not going to ever get to that point… I just don’t see it.” However, he left the door open for other geopolitical targets, notably Greenland, which he called strategically vital: “Something could happen with Greenland… we need that for national and international security.”
Trump’s remarks come just days before his first in-person meeting with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, amid escalating tensions over trade. While the two leaders exchanged pleasantries following Carney’s minority election victory, Trump cast doubt on the Canadian leader’s ability to govern effectively without a majority: “It’s going to make things a little bit difficult, I think, for him to run.”
The meeting in Washington is expected to center around CUSMA — the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement — which is up for review next year. Although the deal was hailed as a major win during Trump’s first term, his return to the White House has brought renewed uncertainty. Already, Canada and Mexico have been hit with fresh tariffs, which Trump claims are tied to drug trafficking and border security. This, despite U.S. data indicating that only a minuscule volume of fentanyl enters from the Canadian border.
In a sharp turn, Trump claimed the U.S. “subsidizes” Canada by $200 billion annually and dismissed the northern neighbour’s economic contributions. “We don’t need their cars, we don’t need their lumber, we don’t need their energy, we don’t need anything,” he said, adding, “They do all of their business practically with us.”
But U.S. trade data tells a different story. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the trade deficit with Canada in 2024 stood at $63.3 billion — a far cry from the alleged $200 billion subsidy. The U.S. imported $412.7 billion in Canadian goods last year, primarily energy and natural resources. Canada remains a key U.S. trading partner, accounting for 12.6% of all American imports.
Still, Trump wasn’t shy about stirring up old rhetoric. Asked whether he would raise the 51st state idea with Carney, Trump said, “I’ll always talk about that.”
“We don’t want their energy. We have more than they do,” Trump insisted. “We don’t want their lumber. All they have to do is free it up from the environmental lunatics. We don’t need anything that they have.”
As Trump escalates his nationalist messaging ahead of major trade negotiations, it remains to be seen whether his bombastic rhetoric is political theater or a prelude to serious policy shifts — with Canada caught in the crosshairs once again.