Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has panned the idea of Canada becoming America’s 51st state amid tensions about an escalating trade war between the neighboring nations. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg, left, Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, right. )
Asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told reporters that Trump's position is that Canada would be better off joining the United States, Carney said Rubio's point was crazy.
"It’s crazy," Carney said. "His point is crazy. That's it."
Trump has said that annexing Canada would prevent the country from being on the receiving end of punishing trade tariffs. Trump claims the U.S. has subsidized Canada to the tune of $200 billion annually and the U.S. began imposing a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico last week.
Two days later Trump suspended the 25% tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for one month. Trump has put 25% tariffs on Canada’s steel and aluminum and is threatening sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products on April 2.
Trump has long said Canada — as well as Mexico — has also failed to do enough to prevent the flow of illegal migrants and drugs, particularly fentanyl into the U.S.
Carney said he has no immediate plans to meet with President Trump but looks forward to doing so. He also addressed Trump’s concerns with Canada.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with then-President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 29, 2024 where Trump brought up the 51st state idea. (Justin Trudeau X)
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Carney, a former Goldman Sachs executive, worked for 13 years in London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto, before being appointed deputy governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003. Carney ran the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.
He has never been elected to public office by the Canadian electorate and does not have a seat in parliament. He won the Liberal leadership last week with 86% of the vote after Trudeau stood down.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-canadian-pm-blasts-trumps-51st-state-idea-crazy