The internet is once again reacting to a comment by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, referring to Canada as an American state and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor.”
In a comment made just after midnight on Tuesday, Trump thanked Trudeau for coming to Mar-a-Lago a few weeks ago to talk about trade policy between Canada and the United States. However, Trump called Trudeau “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”
Last week, a report surfaced that at Trudeau’s visit to Mar-a-Lago, Trump jokingly told the Prime Minister that Canada should become the 51st American state in response to Trudeau telling the incoming president that a 25% tariff would kill the Canadian economy.
A few days after reports of the joke surfaced, Trump reposted an AI-generated picture on his Truth Social account depicting him standing atop a mountain beside a Canadian flag.
The jokes had initially prompted Canada’s Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc to downplay their significance, describing a warm relationship between Trump and Trudeau and saying the remarks should not be taken seriously.
“The fact that there’s a warm, cordial relationship between the two leaders and the president is able to joke like that, we think, is a positive thing,” said LeBlanc.
“It wasn’t a meeting in a boardroom with ten bureaucrats keeping notes. It was a social evening. And there were moments where it was entertaining and funny, and there were moments where we were able to do, we think, some good work for Canada.”
American conservative commentators reacted to Trump’s post with enthusiasm, with Charlie Kirk reposting Trump’s comments with laughing emojis while Ben Shapiro responded with a comment implying support for Canada’s annexation.
Canada’s Treasury Board President Anita Anand responded to questions about Trump’s comments by reporters reiterating her government’s commitment to preserving Canada’s sovereignty and security.
“Canada is a sovereign country,” repeated Anand.
On the other hand, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that Trump’s joke reflects positive relations between Ottawa and the incoming administration in Washington, joking himself that he doesn’t think about Trudeau at midnight while Trump does.
“I’m sure not thinking of Justin Trudeau at midnight,” said Ford. “So if he’s thinking of Justin at midnight, it’s probably a good relationship.”
Since Trump won the presidential election in November, the president-elect has provoked Canada by announcing his intentions to impose a 25% tariff on Canada. The tariffs would be imposed in response to a flow of illegal immigrants and drugs from Canadian territory into the United States.