Trudeau cautions that Trump's threat to annex Canada is a 'real thing,' according to reports
According to a report by the Toronto Star, the Canadian Prime Minister is of the opinion that the US President has an interest in acquiring the country’s mineral resources. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reportedly been overheard expressing concerns about US President Donald Trump's intentions regarding Canada. The Toronto Star shared that Trudeau, while speaking to businessmen, remarked that Trump is serious when he talks about the idea of Canada becoming part of the United States.
Earlier this week, Trump reiterated his interest in seeing Canada as “our 51st state” during a press briefing in the Oval Office, stating, “I would love to see that. Some people say that would be a long shot. If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100% certain that they would become a state.”
During two phone calls on Monday, the two leaders discussed various issues affecting their bilateral relations. Trudeau subsequently disclosed some specifics from those talks to businessmen and union leaders during a closed-door session at the Canada-US Economic Summit in Toronto. He believed his comments were private, but his microphone had not been switched off, leading to his remarks being picked up by reporters.
“I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau said, according to the Toronto Star.
He warned that the US aims to “benefit” from Canada’s natural resources, asserting that “Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country, and it is a real thing.” When Trump first suggested the possibility of incorporating Canada into the US back in December, Trudeau firmly stated that there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” it would occur.
In a recent discussion, Trump argued that Canada might struggle to survive without the “hundreds of billions of dollars” it receives in subsidies from the US. He proposed that joining the US would lead to “much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – and no tariffs!”
In February, Trump had enacted 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China, citing concerns like illegal immigration and drug trafficking. In response, Ottawa pledged to impose similar tariffs on US goods. However, Trump later agreed to delay these tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days in exchange for commitments from both nations to enhance border security.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
Earlier this week, Trump reiterated his interest in seeing Canada as “our 51st state” during a press briefing in the Oval Office, stating, “I would love to see that. Some people say that would be a long shot. If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100% certain that they would become a state.”
During two phone calls on Monday, the two leaders discussed various issues affecting their bilateral relations. Trudeau subsequently disclosed some specifics from those talks to businessmen and union leaders during a closed-door session at the Canada-US Economic Summit in Toronto. He believed his comments were private, but his microphone had not been switched off, leading to his remarks being picked up by reporters.
“I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau said, according to the Toronto Star.
He warned that the US aims to “benefit” from Canada’s natural resources, asserting that “Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country, and it is a real thing.” When Trump first suggested the possibility of incorporating Canada into the US back in December, Trudeau firmly stated that there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” it would occur.
In a recent discussion, Trump argued that Canada might struggle to survive without the “hundreds of billions of dollars” it receives in subsidies from the US. He proposed that joining the US would lead to “much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – and no tariffs!”
In February, Trump had enacted 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China, citing concerns like illegal immigration and drug trafficking. In response, Ottawa pledged to impose similar tariffs on US goods. However, Trump later agreed to delay these tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days in exchange for commitments from both nations to enhance border security.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
