Overview

• President Trump stated unequivocally in a Time Magazine interview that he is serious about his proposal to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, rejecting suggestions that he is joking or 'trolling.'
• Trump argued that the U.S. loses $200–$250 billion annually supporting Canada and claimed that the U.S. does not need Canadian products like lumber, cars, or energy.
• Canadian political leaders, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and current Prime Minister Mark Carney, have uniformly dismissed the annexation idea as unacceptable.
• Polling shows that a majority of Canadians oppose U.S. statehood, though younger Canadians express more openness to the idea when benefits like citizenship and currency conversion are included.
• This proposal follows a pattern of Trump’s territorial ambitions, including previous suggestions to acquire Greenland and take control of the Panama Canal, both of which were rejected by respective governments.