Trudeau says Trump is serious about wanting to annex Canada
3 Min Read
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau warns that the US president is eyeing Canada’s vast resources as Canadians unite against the looming threat.
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Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media after a meeting with Jay Timmons, president and CEO of The National Association of Manufacturers, in Washington, on January 9, 2025. (AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has claimed that former US President Donald 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.
Earlier this week, Trudeau announced he and Trump had a "good" phone call, revealing that both leaders decided to postpone the application of the additional tariffs on Canada for the next 30 days while the nations work on a strategy to address cross-border crime.
In an X post on February 4, Trudeau wrote, "I just had a good call with President Trump," adding "Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together."
Trudeau announced that Canada will begin executing a $1.3 billion border strategy, which would include additional choppers and technologies to reinforce the border, announcing that almost 10,000 frontline officers will be sent to secure the border.
The PM stated that the Canadian government has vowed to appoint a Fentanyl Czar and invest $200 million to build a Joint Strike Force to combat cartels, organized crime, and the fentanyl issue.
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, Fox News reported, citing sources.
Additionally, Trudeau 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.
