President-elect Donald Trump quipped Wednesday that Canada changing into the 51st U.S. state might be “a great idea,” claiming on social media that political turmoil in Ottawa has led “many Canadians” to assist the notion.
“Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!” he added.
The put up will not be the primary time Trump has publicly mused the thought, a joke that some have present in unhealthy style, significantly following the shock resignation of Canada’s deputy prime minister Monday.
A Leger public opinion survey this week discovered that 13% of Canadians assist the notion of linking up with their southern neighbor.
When Trump made the identical remark to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida in late November, howls of laughter reportedly erupted.
According to Fox News, Trump prompt that merging the 2 nations wouldn’t solely resolve his considerations about fentanyl trafficking, over which he has threatened a 25% tariff on Canadian items however might additionally stem unlawful immigration – a difficulty that primarily impacts the U.S. southern border.
His suggestion raised eyebrows in Ottawa with some commenting that it was “not funny,” humiliating and a not-so-subtle risk on the a part of the incoming U.S. chief.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly referred to Trudeau in social media posts because the governor of Canada – a title utilized by leaders of the 50 U.S. states.
The jabs could have change into extra worrying for Canadians because the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland this week, which spurred requires Trudeau to stop.
‘Boxer working a minimize’
Former Trudeau advisor Gerald Butts reacted on social media: “Trump is like a boxer working a cut.”
Norman Spector, an ex-staffer to former Canadian prime minister and Trump {golfing} buddy Brian Mulroney, questioned if Trump critically wished to annex the United States’ northern neighbor.
“That will never happen,” University of British Columbia politics professor Max Cameron instructed AFP.
“Nothing could be a greater impediment to Canada more closely integrating with the United States than Donald Trump in office in Washington,” he added.
“I suspect this is all part of a pattern of bullying that is how he approaches negotiations.”
Queen’s University professor Stephanie Chouinard echoed that view, saying Trump “is taking advantage of the chaos in Canadian politics this week to further antagonize Trudeau.”
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has insisted that regardless of Trump’s teasing, he and Trudeau have had “productive” discussions with the president-elect and his crew.
On Tuesday, LeBlanc and Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced border safety and immigration measures geared toward placating Trump, together with hiring a whole lot of recent police and border officers and aligning Canada’s asylum system with the United States’ to rapidly weed out claims that don’t meet necessities.
Ottawa has additionally proposed establishing a joint Canada-U.S. “strike force” to fight transnational crime teams, and beef up its navy spending.
Trump in his put up additionally stated the United States was subsidizing Canada “to the tune of over $1,000,000,000 a year. Makes no sense!”
It was unclear what Trump’s determine was referring to.
According to U.S. information for 2022, the commerce deficit with Canada was $53.5 billion. Most economists dismiss this as insignificant when in comparison with the $909 billion price of products and companies traded by the 2 international locations.
Julien Martin, an economics professor on the University of Quebec in Montreal, defined that for Republicans underneath Trump, “trade deficits are a big problem for the American economy.”
They characterize “job losses and the decline of the manufacturing sector,” he stated.
Source: www.dailysabah.com