Trump proposes opportunity for Canada to unite with the US – Fox News
US President-elect Donald Trump has proposed that Canada could join the United States as the 51st state, according to Fox News. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
US President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly suggested that Canada become the 51st state of the US if it cannot stop the flow of illegal migrants and drugs across the border, according to a Monday report from Fox News citing sources. The remarks were made during a dinner last Friday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Earlier in the week, Trump had threatened a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico upon taking office, intending to respond to illegal immigration and the "crime and drugs" issues linked to both countries. Following this threat, Trudeau reached out to Trump to persuade him against the proposed tariff increases. Subsequently, he visited Trump’s estate at Mar-a-Lago to further the discussions.
Attendees at the Friday dinner noted that Trump reiterated his stance, claiming Canada had let the US down by permitting drugs and illegal immigrants from over 70 countries to enter. He also reportedly criticized Canada for a trade deficit he approximated to be around $100 billion.
Trudeau allegedly expressed to Trump that such tariffs would devastate the Canadian economy. Trump’s playful response was a suggestion that Canada could avoid the tariffs by becoming the 51st state, with Trudeau serving as governor. He elaborated on the idea, proposing that Canada could be split into two states, one conservative and the other liberal.
The comment was met with nervous laughter from Trudeau and other attendees, while Trump reaffirmed his intention to follow through with his tariff threat upon returning to the White House on January 20.
Neither Trump nor Trudeau's representatives provided comments to Fox News regarding the dinner.
After the meeting, Trudeau described his conversation with Trump to reporters as “excellent,” though he did not disclose further details. Trump later characterized the encounter as "productive," mentioning that Trudeau had "made a commitment" to collaborate with the new US administration on key issues. He did not revisit the topic of the tariff hike.
Currently, many imports from Canada and Mexico are tariff-exempt due to the USMCA trade agreement established during Trump’s first term. Experts have raised concerns about how Trump might apply the proposed tariffs without breaching this agreement. Economists also warn that such tariff hikes could negatively impact the US economy by increasing domestic prices and potentially provoking retaliatory measures from affected countries, possibly escalating into a trade war.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
Earlier in the week, Trump had threatened a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico upon taking office, intending to respond to illegal immigration and the "crime and drugs" issues linked to both countries. Following this threat, Trudeau reached out to Trump to persuade him against the proposed tariff increases. Subsequently, he visited Trump’s estate at Mar-a-Lago to further the discussions.
Attendees at the Friday dinner noted that Trump reiterated his stance, claiming Canada had let the US down by permitting drugs and illegal immigrants from over 70 countries to enter. He also reportedly criticized Canada for a trade deficit he approximated to be around $100 billion.
Trudeau allegedly expressed to Trump that such tariffs would devastate the Canadian economy. Trump’s playful response was a suggestion that Canada could avoid the tariffs by becoming the 51st state, with Trudeau serving as governor. He elaborated on the idea, proposing that Canada could be split into two states, one conservative and the other liberal.
The comment was met with nervous laughter from Trudeau and other attendees, while Trump reaffirmed his intention to follow through with his tariff threat upon returning to the White House on January 20.
Neither Trump nor Trudeau's representatives provided comments to Fox News regarding the dinner.
After the meeting, Trudeau described his conversation with Trump to reporters as “excellent,” though he did not disclose further details. Trump later characterized the encounter as "productive," mentioning that Trudeau had "made a commitment" to collaborate with the new US administration on key issues. He did not revisit the topic of the tariff hike.
Currently, many imports from Canada and Mexico are tariff-exempt due to the USMCA trade agreement established during Trump’s first term. Experts have raised concerns about how Trump might apply the proposed tariffs without breaching this agreement. Economists also warn that such tariff hikes could negatively impact the US economy by increasing domestic prices and potentially provoking retaliatory measures from affected countries, possibly escalating into a trade war.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
