For weeks Donald Trump has been mocking Canada as the fifty-first state, and north of the border most people believed he was just being humorous.
Now after Trump’s speech this week, there is growing concern and outright condemnation.
Trump speculated about acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal, by force if necessary, and using economic measures to force Canada to become part of the U.S. Canadian leaders no longer see the comments as a joke and are taking the matter seriously.
Trump said in a press conference Tuesday that “Canada and the United States, that would really be something. You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like.”
Trump also posted on social media, an image of Canada covered in stars and stripes. Among the first to respond was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying that there’s not even a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the U.S.
Before Trump’s speech, Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered some humor of his own. “I’ll make him a counteroffer. How about if we buy Alaska and we’ll throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time? So, you know it’s not realistic, Ford said. “I know he likes making these comments and he likes joking around, I take that seriously. He may be joking but under my watch that will never ever happen.”
Other leaders too are taking Trump’s comments to heart. Andrew Fury, the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador had this to say. “If you look at his history, his history has been to create chaos and in the confusion with humor. But then often those become policy statements and reality. This is a strong and sovereign country, and it will always be a strong and sovereign country. And to have our best friend threaten our sovereignty is completely unacceptable,” Fury said.
David MacNaughton was Ottawa’s former Ambassador to Washington during the last Trump administration, MacNaughton says what Trump is doing could backfire. “In one fell swoop Donald Trump has actually done more to unite Canadians, I think over the next while, than he possibly imagines,” MacNaughton said.
Still, most political leaders, federally and provincially, agree that this is no longer a joke. Jean Charest is a former Premier of Quebec and Federal Cabinet Minister. He says Canadians should feel deeply offended by Trump’s comments, but they should also see this as a wake-up call. “Maybe Mr. Trump is doing us a favor. He’ll force us to have a hard look at ourselves and what our position is in the world, and what we want to do with this country in the next twenty to thirty years,” Charest said.
Lisa Raitt is a former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party; she says Trump has now come out with the reason why he wants to impose tariffs on Canada. “He’s making a pitch to American citizens that it's unfair that America protects Canada as well as America floats Canada economically,” Raitt said. “Therefore, we should all just be one country, and he’s getting out that narrative before we’re even getting out there and talking about the importance of trade relationships and our own sovereignty”
Tariffs are more than likely at the heart of Trump’s message; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way out and says he’ll step down as soon as a new Liberal leader is chosen by the party. Analysts say Canada needs a tough, scrappy leader willing to take Trump on. But while political uncertainty dominates north of the border, Trump has chosen to sew confusion and chaos.