Canadian politician offers counterproposal to Trump

The ongoing back-and-forth over Donald Trump's proposal for Canada to become the 51st US state took a new turn when an Ontario politician proposed a counteroffer to purchase two US states.

While Trump’s suggestion about Canada joining the US is mostly dismissed as a joke, the president-elect appears to be increasingly serious about it, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media. 

Following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement of his resignation, Trump claimed credit for the move and emphasized that many Canadians "love" the idea of becoming a state.

In response to Trump’s rhetoric, Ontario Premier Doug Ford humorously suggested that Canada might instead look to absorb two US states. "You know something, to the president I'll make him a counteroffer; How about if we buy Alaska and throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time?" Ford quipped to reporters, coinciding with the threat of US tariffs and Trudeau's resignation. 

This is not the first time when Trump has suggested that Canada could become a new US state. He made a similar statement during a meeting with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 3, 2024. At that time, he added that such an annexation could take place if Ottawa fails to address issues like illegal immigration and drug trafficking. On December 10, 2024, the US president-elect further suggested that both Canada and Mexico could become US states. 

On December 17, CBC reported that Canada would allocate $900 million to secure its border with the US. During his Christmas address on December 25, 2024, Trump promised to halve taxes for Canadian citizens if Canada were to become the 51st state. In the same speech, he wished Trudeau a Merry Christmas, referring to him not as prime minister, but as the governor of Canada.

By Naila Huseynova