U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions that Canada become the United States’ 51st state were prompted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments about Canada’s trade surplus with America.
In an interview with Catherine Herridge – a former CBS investigative journalist currently working as an independent reporter – Secretary Rubio was asked about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s suggestion that Trump is serious about annexing Canada.
Rubio replied by recounting Trudeau’s visit to Mar-a-Lago in Nov. 2023, saying that Trump’s suggestion that Canada become the 51st state is and always has been about the United States’ trade deficit with Canada.
“The President’s meeting with Trudeau and Trudeau says if you even out our trade relationship, then we will cease to exist as a country. At which point the president responded very logically, and that is, well, if you can’t exist without cheating in trade, then you should become a state,” said Rubio.
Rubio went on to reaffirm the United States’ alliance with Canada, but stressed the importance of reciprocity in trade and dealing with the trade imbalance.
“Canada is our friend. Canada is our neighbour. Canada is our partner,” said Rubio.
“For decades, the United States allowed uneven trade imbalances to develop…those days are gone. These are rich, developed economies. And ultimately who can argue against the fact that whatever they charge us, we should charge them?”
Months since it was first reported that Trump suggested Canada become the 51st state to Trudeau, Trump has continued to argue that Canada should cease to exist if it cannot survive without having a trade surplus with the United States.
“Why are we paying $200 billion a year essentially in subsidy to Canada? Now if they’re a 51st state I don’t mind doing it,” said Trump in a Super Bowl interview with Bret Baier.
In 2024, the United States had a $63.3 billion USD deficit with Canada.
Last week, Canada’s 13 premiers went to Washington D.C. and met with Trump’s deputy chief of staff James Blair and director of the Presidential Personnel Office Sergio Gor, telling the administration officials that Canada becoming the 51st state is a “non-starter.”
However, Blair only acknowledged the premiers’ message and refused to agree that Canada would never become the 51st state.