Canada can keep ‘O Canada’ anthem as 51st US state: Trump
3 Min Read
During his speech at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington, Donald Trump joked that Canada could keep its "O Canada" anthem if it became the 51st state of the US.
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President Donald Trump speaks at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute summit in Miami Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. (AP)
US President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to take Canada into the United States as its 51st state.
"I think Canada, you know, they're gonna have to pay tariffs on automobiles, lumber, and oil and gas, etcetera, and they get 95% of their product from the United States," Trump said at the Republican Governors Association Meeting dinner in Washington, DC on Thursday.
"I think they have to become the 51st state," he added.
About an international hockey game in Montreal, where the US national anthem was met with boos from Canadians before the match, Trump remarked that he believes "ultimately" they will come to praise the national anthem.
He said, "We’ll have to work out some deal…because I do like the ‘O Canada’ all right," referring to the Canadian national anthem, adding, "It’s a beautiful thing. I think we’re going to have to keep it for the 51st state."
Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a "governor" and stated that he is doing a "wonderful job."
"I think it's actually cost him his election, if you want to know that, but we're gonna see about that... We're looking at Greenland, and we have to take back the Panama Canal," he added.
Earlier this month, Trudeau claimed that Trump’s recent fixation on “absorbing Canada" is a serious concern.
Speaking to business leaders during an emergency summit in Toronto, Trudeau warned that Trump’s interest stems from Canada’s vast reserves of critical minerals. “This is a real thing," Trudeau stated, addressing the group of business and labor leaders.
The summit was convened in response to Trump’s looming threat of imposing a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. Trudeau sought to rally coordination among stakeholders to counter the potential economic fallout and safeguard Canada’s interests.
Canada, 51st US state?
In December last year, Trump suggested to Trudeau that if tariffs meant to address trade and immigration issues would devastate Canada’s economy, perhaps the country should consider becoming the 51st US state.
Trudeau then traveled unannounced to Mar-a-Lago after Trump threatened to impose sweeping 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products, citing their failure to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the United States.
According to two sources who attended the dinner, Trump, while cordial, directly criticized Canada’s handling of border security and trade. He accused the country of failing to prevent the influx of illegal drugs and migrants, including individuals from over 70 countries, across the US border.
He also claimed the US trade deficit with Canada exceeds $100 billion, a figure he emphasized during the discussion.
