Trump says subsidies to Canada are ‘meaningless’, suggesting Canada wants to join U.S.
President-elect Trump continued his attack on Canada earlier on Wednesday, slamming U.S. subsidies for its northern neighbor and once again claiming Canadians deserved to become the 51st U.S. state.
“No one has an answer for why we subsidize Canada over $100 million a year,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform.
“No point! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st state. They will save a lot of tax and military protection,” Trump wrote.
The article comes as tensions between the United States and Canada rise over the incoming president’s plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canada over his failure to address trade and immigration issues.
Trump weighs in on political turmoil in ‘great state of Canada’, slams ‘Governor Justin Trudeau’
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia on October 15, 2024. (Kevin Dickey/Getty Images)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago to discuss the issue. Sources said Trump became excited when it came to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which he estimated at more than $100 billion.
Trump releases a lot of news, shows restraint at press conferences even as he lashes out at media
According to reports, Trump suggested to Trudeau that if tariffs on Canada would kill its economy, then maybe Canada should become the 51st state of the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a fireside chat with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce on Monday, December 9, 2024, in Halifax. (Riley Smith/Canadian Press via AP)
At the same time, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian imports, which made Canada, which is highly integrated with the U.S. economy, uncomfortable.
About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports come from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports also come from Canada.
A Canadian Customs and Fisheries officer monitors the U.S.-Canada border between Blaine, Washington, and White Rock, British Columbia.
Canada is also the largest supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the United States and has 34 key minerals and metals that the Pentagon covets.
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Nearly C$3.6 billion (or US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border every day. Canada is the largest export destination among 36 US states.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Weiner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
