Donald Trump threw a fresh taunt at Canada as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tries to weather a crisis sparked by the sudden departure of a minister who was a bulwark against the US president-elect’s plan to start trade wars with his neighbours.
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“No one can answer why we subsidise Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense!” Trump said in a post early Wednesday on Truth Social. “Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”
Trump has been joking that Canada could always become the US’s 51st state – and Trudeau its governor – ever since the Canadian leader rushed out to see him at his Mar-a-Lago resort. But the lighthearted comments seemingly made in jest over a Thanksgiving dinner have taken a more sinister undertone with Trudeau now fighting for his political survival.
It is unclear why Trump cited the figure of US$100 million and he has used US$100 billion in the past.
The US goods trade deficit with Canada through October was US$50.5 billion and the gap for all of 2023 was US$64.3 billion, according to Census data. In a 2018 post on the social media platform known as Twitter at the time, he complained about how Canada makes “almost $100 Billion Dollars in Trade with US”.
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Trump threatens new anti-drug tariffs on ‘day 1’ for China, Canada, Mexico
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In Ottawa on Tuesday, Trudeau tried to downplay the most serious challenge yet facing his leadership. “Like most families, sometimes we have fights around the holidays,” he told a gathering for his Liberal Party’s 153 lawmakers and their staffers.